Jhansi, Aug. 30 -- Eight former Mandi Samiti officials of the Jhansi division have been booked for the embezzlement of funds allocated for several construction works in the Bundelkhand region, officials said. A total of Rs 7,226 crore was released by the central government in 2009 for the construction of 'mandis' (markets), ponds and wells to give succour to farmers and enhance water facilities in the parched region. Even as an investigation was underway against a then superintending engineer and seven deputy director-rank officials, the embezzled funds were said to be several crores of rupees, the officials added. The action came after a detailed inquiry report was submitted by a four-member committee. Based on the report, the present deputy director (construction division), Vijay Pal Singh, lodged the FIR against the eight former officials under section 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of the IPC. Those who have been booked are former superintending engineer Gopal Shankar, and former deputy directors SNP Yadav, Akaram Husain Khan, Jitendra Yadav, Mridul Madhukant, KK Gupta, Suresh Chandra Goyal and Hakim Singh. Many of them have retired. The complaint mentioned that steel procured for construction works was heavily overpriced than the scheduled rate. After the matter surfaced, a four-member committee was constituted in September 2022 to investigate the matter. The committee tabled its report recently. Nawabad station officer Santosh Kumar Awasthi confirmed the FIR and said that section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, would be added to the FIR. Meanwhile, former Union minister Pradeep Jain, who had played a crucial role in the allocation of the funds, demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter....