The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday announced the seizure of ₹11.64 crore in cash following fresh raids conducted as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving Bihar IAS officer Sanjeev Hans.
The searches were carried out on Thursday across seven locations in Patna, targeting multiple government officials allegedly involved in financial irregularities.
According to an official statement by the ED, the raids focused on the premises of several high-ranking officials, including Tarini Das, the Chief Engineer of the Bihar Construction Department (BCD); Mumukshu Chaudhary, the Joint Secretary in the Bihar government’s Finance Department; and Umesh Kumar Singh, an Executive Engineer in the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD).
Others whose premises were searched include Ayaz Ahmed, the Deputy Project Director of Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (BUIDCO); Sagar Jaiswal, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Projects at Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd. (BMSICL); Vikash Jha, another Deputy General Manager (DGM) at BMSICL; and Saket Kumar, an Executive Engineer in the Bihar Construction Department (BCD).
The ED alleged that these officials had received bribe money in exchange for awarding favorable outcomes in government tenders and clearing bills for various contractors.
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Among the contractors under scrutiny is Rishu Shree, a Patna-based firm that is reportedly linked to irregular financial transactions. The enforcement agency has claimed that significant evidence has emerged pointing to the involvement of these officials in corrupt dealings, including the manipulation of tenders and the facilitation of fraudulent bill approvals.
During the course of the raids, the ED seized ₹11.64 crore in cash, along with multiple property-related documents, papers detailing the distribution of bribe money, and various digital records.
Investigators also discovered other incriminating documents that are expected to provide further insight into the alleged financial misconduct. However, the agency has not disclosed the specific amounts of cash or documents recovered from individual locations.
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The money laundering probe against Sanjeev Hans, a 1997-batch IAS officer, originates from an FIR registered by the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) of the Bihar Police.
Hans, who last held the position of Principal Secretary in Bihar’s Energy Department, has been accused of accumulating illicit wealth through corrupt means while serving in key administrative roles.
The ED has alleged that his involvement in financial irregularities extended beyond Bihar and continued during his central deputations between 2018 and 2023.
Despite the severity of the allegations and the scale of the enforcement action, none of the accused officials or their legal representatives have provided any public response regarding the ED’s findings.
As the investigation progresses, the agency is expected to examine the seized documents and digital evidence further, which could lead to additional legal actions.
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