VIB raids Nagar Parishad executive officer’s premises in DA case

VIB raided Rosera Nagar Parishad EO Upendra Nath Verma's properties over a ₹1.16 crore DA case, recovering ₹10 lakh cash and assets worth ₹27 lakh.

The Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) on Wednesday carried out searches at the premises of Rosera Nagar Parishad executive officer (EO) Upendra Nath Verma after a disproportionate assets (DA) case was lodged against him. According to the VIB, a DA case worth ₹1.16 crore has been registered against Verma. During the preliminary inquiry, his assets were found to be approximately 86.3% higher than his known sources of income.

VIB raids Nagar Parishad executive officer’s premises in DA case

Acting on allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his income, VIB teams conducted raids at two locations — Rosera (Samastipur) and Patna — belonging to Verma, and recovered ₹10 lakh in cash, gold and silver ornaments worth ₹27 lakh, 14 land purchase-related documents, bank passbooks, several vehicles and documents related to investments in insurance companies. VIB officials did not rule out the possibility of more such assets being uncovered. Verma has been booked under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

VIB DG Jitendra Singh Gangwar said that simultaneous searches were conducted at Verma’s office in Rosera, his flat in Ashiana Phase-2 (Rajeev Nagar) in Patna and other locations. The bureau had inputs suggesting that Verma had purchased land and flats worth crores in Patna and other places in the names of himself and his family members.

“Based on the information, the vigilance team conducted a secret inquiry into the allegations. In the initial investigation, the charges against the accused were found to be prima facie true,” said Gangwar, adding that a search warrant was obtained from the court and four teams were constituted to carry out operations at various locations linked to the accused. The searches began around 3 pm on Wednesday and continued till late evening.