Patna: Vigilance raid unearths Rs 2.54 crore disproportionate asset amassed by BCD engineer

PATNA: The vigilance investigation bureau on Friday conducted raids on the office and private residence of building construction department engineer Madan Kumar in Patna and unearthed assets worth more than Rs 2.54 crore disproportionate from his known sources of income.
Kumar is posted as executive engineer of Patliputra division of building construction department in Patna.
The raids were conducted at his engineer’s office located near Bihar Museum and his lavishly decorated and furnished three-storey private residence at Vrindavan colony, Gola Road in Rupaspur, Patna.
Vigilance sources said they have found 21 plots in Patna sadar, Danapur and Phulwari and two more in Madhubani which are registered either in the name of the engineer, his wife Premlata Kumari or his elder son.
They said out of the 21, deeds of eight plots and two in Madhubani were recovered during the Friday’s raid.
“These plots are worth several crores if evaluated on market rate. The house, in name of wife, is estimated around Rs7-8 crore in market. However, their deed value is much less on which DA is calculated,” a source said.
Sources said his elder son is in a second-year engineering student in a south Indian college while younger son studies in class-9.
They said Kumar joined service as assistant engineer in PWD on May 7, 1997 and his total earning from salary till now is Rs 1.2 crore.
“His overall income from all sources is Rs 1.74 crore. But he has amassed immovable properties worth Rs 2.23 crore and movable properties worth Rs 1.08 crore as per FIR registered on October 6. His DA at FIR stage was Rs 2.26 crore which has increased to Rs 2.54 crore after raid,” a source said.
Vigilance source overall Rs 13.75 lakh in cash including Rs 7 lakh in cash, jewellery worth Rs 14 lakhs, information about investments and 10 bank accounts with heavy deposits were recovered at engineer’s residence during the raid. “Rs 6.75 lakh was recovered separately from his office almirahs,” a source said.
“Rs 1 lakh was kept inside an almirah located inside a room attached to engineer’s office chamber. Rs 5.75 was found inside another almirah located in room in which of Kumar’s cashier Ajay Kumar Pandey sits,” a source said.
They said that neither the engineer nor the cashier came to office to open almirahs and rooms even after repeated calls.
Sources said engineer made an excuse of being in a meeting and cashier said he had gone to Samastipur to vote in panchayat election.
“As raiding team had search warrants, they broke both almirahs. They also broke lock on an iron grill and door to gain entrance inside cashier’ room. What created doubt is that the cashier had left office with bunch of keys of almirahs and gates with himself,” a source said.
They said Pandey had not marked his attendance for four days and his leave application to go Samastipur was also not signed by approving authority. Sources said vigilance also seized a letter showing no presence of cash inside office when engineer had taken change in July.