Tender scam: SVU arrests one more

Patna: The SVU on Friday arrested Santosh Kumar, a close associate of alleged tender mafia figure and contractor Rishu Shri, in a major development in the Bihar tender scam investigation.Santosh, a director of Matriswa Construction Pvt Ltd, was arrested during a raid in Patna based on intelligence inputs. After preliminary questioning, he was sent to judicial custody.According to investigators, Santosh is one of Rishu Shri’s oldest associates and had invested nearly Rs 4 crore in his early business ventures. SVU suspects he played a key role in managing financial transactions and facilitating the delivery of bribes to officials.Santosh was named along with Rishu Shri in an FIR registered by SVU on April 30 last year. Officials believe his interrogation could reveal crucial details about the alleged manipulation of govt tenders.The probe has gathered pace since raids at Rishu Shri’s premises on May 27. He was arrested the following day. On May 30, two IAS officers — Abhilasha Sharma and Yogesh Kumar Sagar — were suspended over their alleged links to the case.SVU said the investigation has uncovered alleged irregularities in water resources department tenders worth around Rs 125 crore. Investigators claim Rishu Shri used his influence and collusion with officials to secure contracts for an Ahmedabad-based company, which subsequently subcontracted work to M/s Matriswa Construction.The agency also alleges that multiple firms were floated in the names of Rishu Shri, his wife and associates to influence the tendering process.“A key lead came from Rishu Shri’s mobile phone. Forensic analysis found a contact saved as ‘IAS Bhaiya’. Agencies are now checking call records, chats, and other digital activity linked to the number. It is not yet clear if the connection was personal or if it influenced tender allocations,” a senior police official said.Officials said the alleged modus operandi involved obtaining confidential information and inserting restrictive conditions into tenders to eliminate competitors.SVU believes Santosh’s arrest could expose a wider network involved in manipulating govt contracts worth crores of rupees.