Patna: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has filed a charge sheet against Vinod Kumar Rai, an engineer in the Rural Works Department, in connection with a high-profile corruption case registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The EOU has also named Rai’s wife, Babli Rai, as a primary accused in the case. Officials said she is currently absconding, and the department is preparing to issue a warrant of attachment and proclamation against her.
Disproportionate Assets Case Under Probe
Alongside the corruption case, the EOU has registered a separate FIR for disproportionate assets against engineer Vinod Kumar Rai. The case was filed on September 10, and investigations are still underway.
Earlier, on August 22, 2025, the EOU team arrested Rai from Agamkuan, Patna, in connection with the assets case. He was posted in Madhubani at the time of arrest. During the raid on his residence, officials recovered ₹40 lakh in cash, along with a large quantity of half-burnt currency notes.
Cash Hidden in Unusual Places
According to the EOU, the seized cash had been concealed in the toilet, water tank, and kitchen wastewater drain. The team also confiscated land documents worth crores of rupees, gold and silver jewellery valued in lakhs, and dozens of luxury watches.
Wife Attempted to Destroy Evidence
During the late-night raid, Babli Rai allegedly tried to prevent the EOU team from entering the house. The officers reportedly had to wait from 1:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. before gaining entry. In that time, Babli Rai allegedly burned bundles of ₹500 notes in the bathroom and flushed the ashes down the toilet.
Later, the remaining ₹40 lakh was found wrapped in polythene bags and dumped into the rooftop water tank. The team called the Municipal Corporation to extract the burnt notes from the toilet, and later, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was roped in to examine the damaged currency.
Officials said Babli Rai fell ill during the raid and is believed to have fled soon after.
The EOU has confirmed that the investigation into both the corruption and disproportionate assets cases is ongoing, and further arrests are likely.
