A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Saturday sentenced retired IAS officer Mr. Pradeep Sharma, 71, to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The order also included a fine of Rs. 50,000 in a money laundering case connected with the concessional allotment of government land to Welspun India Ltd and its group companies.
The offences relate to the period between 2003 and 2006, when Mr. Sharma served as the Kutch District Collector and chaired the District Land Pricing Committee. The court ruled that the prosecution had successfully demonstrated that proceeds of crime were generated through the irregular allotment of public land.
Court Rejects Plea for Concurrent Sentencing
Presiding Judge K. M. Sojitra convicted Mr. Sharma under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA. The court ordered that the properties attached by the Enforcement Directorate during the investigation remain permanently confiscated to the Central government.
The defence request for concurrent sentencing with a previous conviction from January 2025 was denied. The court cited the gravity of the offences and provisions under Section 427 of the CrPC while declining leniency.
Investigation Traces Irregular Allotments and Illicit Financial Flows
The ED case is rooted in multiple FIRs filed in 2010 by CID (Crime), Rajkot Zone. Investigators alleged that Mr. Sharma allotted valuable government land to the Welspun group at highly discriminatory rates.
According to case records, land parcels were approved at Rs. 15 to Rs. 18 per square metre against the prescribed government rate of Rs. 78 per square metre. This underpricing reportedly caused a loss of approximately Rs. 1.20 crore to the state exchequer.
Prosecutors stated that illegal payments were routed through Ms. Shyamal Sharma, Mr. Sharma’s wife, who became a 30 percent partner in Value Packaging Pvt Ltd without any capital contribution. Funds amounting to Rs. 22 lakh were deposited in her account, along with another Rs. 7.50 lakh tagged as a goodwill payment. Additional amounts were allegedly transferred from third parties into her domestic and overseas accounts.
Funds Used to Repay Loans and Acquire Property
The prosecution informed the court that these proceeds were used to repay a housing loan for Mr. Sharma’s Gandhinagar residence and to purchase agricultural land. Between 2004 and 2009, Welspun group companies also allegedly paid Rs. 2.24 lakh to cover the cost of a mobile SIM card issued for Mr. Sharma’s use.
During the investigation, the ED provisionally attached land and a house linked to him in Gandhinagar district.
Defence Cites Procedural Issues, Plans Appeal
Mr. Sharma’s counsel argued that the alleged offences occurred before the PMLA came into force and that mandatory approvals required under CrPC provisions and Section 45 of the PMLA were missing. The court, however, upheld the ED’s arguments and ruled that the charges had been proven.
The defence has announced plans to challenge the latest conviction in the High Court.
String of Convictions Marks an Unraveling Career
The fresh verdict adds to a growing list of convictions against the retired bureaucrat. In January 2025, the same PMLA court sentenced him to five years in a separate money laundering case. In April 2025, a Bhuj court delivered another five-year sentence in a land allotment case tied to Saw Pipes Pvt Ltd dating back to 2004. Mr. Sharma remains in judicial custody.
Career Trajectory of the Former IAS Officer
Mr. Sharma began his public administrative career in the Gujarat Administrative Service in 1981 and later joined the IAS with 1994 seniority. He held important developmental and civic positions, including Municipal Commissioner of Jamnagar and Bhavnagar, and later served as Collector of Kutch-Bhuj and Rajkot.
Despite a significant administrative record, his career became overshadowed after multiple allegations surfaced regarding land allotments and misuse of official authority. He was suspended in 2010. Over the years, he faced around a dozen FIRs and multiple investigations by state and central agencies. A major conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act was also delivered in January 2025.
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