DA case: Premises of minister’s pvt secy, his friend searched

A disproportionate assets case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and 120 (B) of IPC has been lodged with the SVU police station against Mirtunjay, said police.

Special vigilance unit (SVU) of Bihar Police on Friday carried out simultaneous searches on properties of a Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer, currently posted as officer on special duty (OSD) at mines and geology department, and his associate in a case of disproportionate assets worth ₹1.74 crore, officials said.

The sleuths conducted raids at the OSD’s residence in Patna and Araria, besides Ratna’s residence at Katihar, where the team seized ₹30 lakh in cash, 30 gold bars, some old currency notes, besides other items. (Representational image)

The officer, Mritunjay Kumar Verma, has also been serving as private secretary to mines and geology minister Janak Ram since February 26 this year.

Verma’s associate Ratna Chatterjee was dismissed from the job in 2012 after she was caught accepting a bribe of ₹30,000 when she was posted as child development project officer in Thakurganj block of Kishanganj district in 2011, SVU officials said.

The sleuths conducted raids at the OSD’s residence in Patna and Araria, besides Ratna’s residence at Katihar, where the team seized ₹30 lakh in cash, 30 gold bars, some old currency notes, besides other items. The SVU also seized six cell phones and found details of a shop in a mall, a flat at Siliguri in West Bengal, a plot in Patna worth ₹33 lakh, ornaments worth ₹45 lakh, three LIC policies and six passbooks, all in Ratna’s name.

The SVU suspects that all the ill-gotten money was routed through Ratna. Vigilance sleuths also raided Mritunjay’s brother Dhananjay’s house.

According to an official of the raiding team, Ratna and Mritunjay have been staying together in a live-in relationship at the latter’s house in Patna.

Sources said Mritunjay was under the surveillance of the SVU since May 1, 2021. A disproportionate assets case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and 120 (B) of IPC has been lodged with the SVU police station against Mirtunjay, said police.