The Indian Express has published a detailed investigative report examining land acquisitions by the family of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and their associated real estate companies. The probe, based on an analysis of land records, highlights transactions that coincide with major infrastructure developments in Ujjain.
According to the article by ‘The Indian Express’ published on June 23, since Mohan Yadav took oath as Chief Minister on December 13, 2023, “his family and their real estate companies have bought at least 137 plots, adding up to 168 acres, for Rs 45 crore, in zones most benefited by this infrastructure push.”
The report notes that these purchases were concentrated in areas that stood to gain significantly from government-announced road projects, highways, and changes under the Ujjain Master Plan. The article by ‘The Indian Express’ investigation reads that the deals involved family members including Yadav’s wife Seema Yadav, his son Vaibhav Yadav and daughter-in-law Shalini Yadav, brothers Nandlal and Narayan Yadav, sister Kalavati Yadav, nephew Abhay Yadav, and first cousins Govind and Nilesh Yadav — either directly or through family-run real estate firms.
‘The Indian Express’ investigation points out that the family had already held substantial land holdings prior to Yadav becoming CM (including around 179 acres in and around Ujjain from earlier years). Some of the newer plots were subsequently sold or transferred within the family.
The timing of the acquisitions has sparked questions of propriety and potential conflict of interest, as many plots are located near newly developed roads or zones where agricultural land was converted for residential and commercial use. However, the newspaper also reports that government officials, speaking anonymously, defended the transactions by emphasising that the family’s real estate business predates Mohan Yadav’s rise to the Chief Minister’s post and forms part of their longstanding activities. Neither the CM nor his office provided a direct response to a detailed questionnaire sent by the publication.
This Express Investigation has drawn strong reactions from opposition parties, particularly the Congress, which has demanded a judicial inquiry and even the CM’s resignation, terming the developments as an “engine of plunder.” The full series includes additional pieces detailing specific family members’ holdings and the role of Yadav’s cousins in some of the larger transactions. For the complete, original reporting, readers should refer directly to ‘The Indian Express’ website.
