Suspended urban and housing development officer raided in Bihar in graft case

Srivastava was also suspected to be involved in embezzlement of ₹30 and 22 crore from Bhabhua and Hajipur municipal councils respectively before his suspension

Bihar’s special vigilance unit (SVU) late Wednesday night searched properties of former executive officer of Hajipur municipal council, Anubhuti Srivastava, suspecting him of accumulating assets disproportionate to income, officers aware of the developments said.

Anubhuti Srivastava was suspended on August 18 after a Bhabua resident accused him of corruption during a janata darbar or public meeting held by chief minister Nitish Kumar a couple of days ago. (Photo Courtesy-Twitter)

Srivastava was suspended on August 18 after a Bhabua resident accused him of corruption during a janata darbar or public meeting held by chief minister Nitish Kumar. Srivastava had been accused of corruption earlier too when posted at Jagdishpur, Bhabua and Dumraon Nagar councils between 2018 and 2021. Officials say that his conduct was then probed at the district level but it didn’t lead to any substantial action.

He was also suspected to be involved in embezzlement of ₹30 and 22 crore from Bhabhua and Hajipur municipal councils respectively before his suspension.

“This is the first major crackdown on an officer of the urban development and housing department this year,” said a SVU officer. The sleuths raided Srivastava’s Patna and Indore flats.

The officer quoted above said the search had been completed and a list of all his properties including bank fixed deposits, vehicles, plots, household articles, was being prepared. He added that a case of disproportionate assets worth ₹1.1 crore had been lodged against Srivastava under Sections 13 (1) (e) (possession of disproportionate assets) and 13 (2) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 at the SVU police station.

In the searches at his flat located at Aparna Mansions in Rukanpur, Patna, documents of real estate investments, insurance policies, fixed deposits, mutual funds, foreign tours including to Mauritius, were found. Ownership papers of two flats in Patna and one in Madhya Pradesh were also found. Two bank lockers and two sports utility vehicles were also found during the search, the officer said.

It also came to light that he was paying ₹15 lakh every year to cover insurance policies in the name of his wife and children when his annual official income was ₹8 lakhs, the officer said.

Entire search operation was supervised by additional director general (ADG) Sunil Kumar. One SUV officer involved in the probe against Srivastava said he was under surveillance after the chief minister ordered a probe against him. Officials in the home department said several officers posted with the urban development and housing departments were also on the SVU’s radar.