Bettiah: An assistant engineer posted in the Education Department in Bettiah was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, following which the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) recovered Rs 42,00,500 in cash from his rented residence during a late-night raid.
The accused, identified as Roshan Kumar, was caught red-handed on Monday evening while allegedly accepting the first installment of a bribe from a contractor. Acting on the arrest, a special vigilance team conducted a search at his rented house in Bangali Colony around 10 pm. The raid continued until 1 am.
During the search, officials seized Rs 42,00,500 in cash along with several important documents and investment-related papers. With the earlier recovery of Rs 5 lakh during the trap operation, the total cash recovered from the engineer’s possession stands at Rs 47,00,500.
Cash Hidden Under Bed, Inside Bags and Almirah
According to officials, large amounts of cash were found concealed at various places inside the house, including under the bed, inside bags, and between files. All the notes were in bundles of Rs 500 denomination. Due to the late hour, a counting machine was unavailable, and officials manually counted the cash, a process that took nearly two hours.
Investigators suspect that most of the Rs 42 lakh recovered during the house search was allegedly collected as commission from contractors over the past week. Sources said the engineer had recently visited his village, and it is believed that earlier collections might have been sent there.
Commission Linked to Pending Payments Before March 31
Officials said the alleged collections had increased ahead of the March 31 financial year-end deadline, as pending payments were being cleared. The engineer is accused of demanding a 10 percent commission for clearing bills.
The complaint that led to the operation was filed by Shams Tabrez, a contractor from Rahimpur in Nautan block, who had undertaken repair work in various government schools. The total bill for the work was Rs 57 lakh. Tabrez alleged that the assistant engineer demanded Rs 5.7 lakh as a 10 percent commission to clear the bill.
He claimed he was repeatedly pressured over phone calls and in-person meetings at the office. Distressed by the alleged demand, he approached the Vigilance Department office in Patna and lodged a written complaint. After preliminary verification found substance in the allegations, the SVU planned a trap operation.
Trap Operation and Arrest
On Monday, the contractor was instructed to meet the assistant engineer and hand over part of the demanded amount. A vigilance team member in civil dress accompanied him. The engineer allegedly reconfirmed the commission demand and asked the contractor to meet him at a tea stall in the evening.
Around 5.30 pm, as the contractor began handing over Rs 5 lakh as the first installment, the vigilance team apprehended Roshan Kumar on the spot. The operation was led by DSP Sudhir Kumar from Patna.
Following the arrest, the main gate of the Education Department office was temporarily closed, and several rooms were searched. Officials seized important files and documents, which are now under examination.
Evidence of Transactions Found on Paper
During the house search, officials recovered a handwritten document detailing the amounts allegedly collected from various contractors, pending dues, and the percentage of commission fixed for different payments. The document is being treated as crucial evidence in the investigation.
During questioning, the engineer reportedly told the vigilance team that the 10 percent commission was not solely for him and alleged that other departmental officials, staff members, and some local public representatives were also beneficiaries. However, no other names have been officially disclosed so far.
Investigators are examining whether the alleged commission collection was being run as a larger syndicate under the pretext of clearing bills. Further probe is underway.
