Patna, March 28: In a major crackdown on corruption in government circles in Bihar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided seven locations across the state in connection with a money laundering case and recovered ₹11.64 crore in cash.
The investigations also blew the lid off a bribe-for-bill-clearance racket operating in Bihar government departments. The raids that were connected to senior IAS officer Sanjeev Hans sent shockwaves through Bihar’s bureaucracy, as several high-ranking officials are under the scanner now.
While the ED was conducting probes into the cases lodged against Sanjeev Hans, the names of other high-profile officials came into the picture. Accordingly, the raids were carried out at the residential premises of senior officials, including Tarini Das — Chief Engineer, Building Construction Department, Mumuksh Chaudhary — Joint Secretary, Finance Department, Umesh Kumar Singh — Executive Engineer, Urban Development Department, Riyaz Ahmed — Deputy Project Director, Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development, Sagar Jaiswal and Vikas Jha — DGMs, BMSICL and Saket Kumar — Executive Engineer, Building Construction Department on Thursday.
The ED source said on Friday that Rs 11.64 crore in cash was recovered from the premises of the various officials. Besides cash, the raiding teams also seized land-related documents and other digital evidence. According to ED sources, these officials are accused of taking hefty bribes to favour particular contractors in government tenders.
Bribes were also reportedly taken to clear bills of multiple contractors, including Patna-based contractor Rishu Shri. Investigations indicate a bribe-for-bill-clearance racket operating within the Bihar government’s departments. Sanjeev Hans, a 1997-batch IAS officer, currently facing charges of disproportionate assets and an alleged rape case, is serving a jail term in Patna’s Beur jail.
Hans has become a central figure in the case. Originally from Punjab, he was a Divisional Commissioner-ranked officer in Bihar and had served as a District Magistrate in several places. This high-profile action has created a stir in Bihar’s administrative circles.
The ongoing investigation is expected to uncover more details about the money trail and other potential beneficiaries. The ED is continuing its probe to trace the origins of the seized money, and further arrests or actions cannot be ruled out.
IANS