Overview

• Laxmi Bai, sarpanch of Karod gram panchayat, signed a notarised agreement in November 2022 granting contractor Ranveer Singh Kushwaha control over the panchayat's operations.
• The deal involved Kushwaha agreeing to repay Bai’s ₹20 lakh debt and providing her a 5% commission on panchayat contracts he secured.
• Following administrative inquiries initiated in early 2025, Bai was dismissed from her post on May 9, 2025, for misusing her office.
• An FIR has been registered against Kushwaha under Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (cheating) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, with further investigations underway.
• This case highlights systemic vulnerabilities in grassroots governance, where financial pressures from election campaigns can lead to corruption and abuse of power.