Patna: The investigation into the alleged bribery case involving Rosera’s Deputy Collector Land Reforms (DCLR), Kanchan Kumari Jha, has widened after the Surveillance Investigation Bureau found Rs 10.27 lakh deposited in three bank accounts linked to her.
The bureau found Rs 7.06 lakh, Rs 2.31 lakh and Rs 90,000 in the three accounts. All three accounts have been frozen as part of the investigation.
Jha and her domestic help, Sumit Kumar, were arrested from the spot during a trap operation last week. The case relates to an alleged demand for a washing machine as a bribe.
Cash, Land Documents Recovered
The bureau had earlier recovered Rs 13.82 lakh in cash during a raid at Jha’s government residence immediately after the trap operation.
Investigators have also recovered two documents related to the purchase of rural land. The documents are being physically verified and assessed as part of the probe.
A hand-wash sample collected during the trap operation has also been seized. The bureau will send the pink-coloured liquid to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination following a court order.
Charges And Trial
Jha and Kumar face charges under provisions that carry a maximum punishment of seven years, according to the Surveillance Investigation Bureau.
The bureau said it plans to pursue a speedy trial and will submit the chargesheet in court soon.
The complainant, Manoj Kumar, visited the Surveillance and Investigation Bureau headquarters in Patna on Monday to seek information about the investigation and the action taken so far.
Earlier Washing Machine Bribery Case
The bureau has also completed its investigation into a separate case involving a police sub-inspector in Siwan.
In May last year, the sub-inspector of Asaon police station was allegedly caught accepting Rs 20,000 in cash and a washing machine as a bribe. The bureau has filed a chargesheet in the case, which is now pending for framing of charges before the Special Surveillance Court in Muzaffarpur.
Surveillance Bureau’s 2026 Action
According to the bureau, it has registered 95 trap cases this year and arrested 93 accused red-handed.
The operations have resulted in the recovery of Rs 34.34 lakh in alleged bribe money and a washing machine.
