Patna: A new controversy has started in Bihar after it came to light that many officials facing corruption charges have been cleared by their departments without public disclosure. The trend has been seen not only in the Education Department but also in the Transport Department, where officers who were expected to face strict action have instead been quietly declared innocent. This is happening at a time when the state government is repeatedly promising strict action against corruption and clean administration.
The Education Department recently cleared a District Education Officer (DEO) who was accused of having disproportionate assets. The Vigilance Bureau had raided him and later registered a case, but within two years, the department closed the matter and declared that no wrongdoing was found. This has raised serious doubts about how such a sensitive case was resolved so quickly, despite the presence of strong allegations and an ongoing judicial process.
A similar situation has been reported in the Transport Department. Motor Vehicle Inspectors who were accused of collecting wealth as high as 500% more than their salary were also quietly given clean chits. According to departmental sources, clean chit letters were deliberately not made public to avoid criticism and further exposure. Some sources even claim that plans are being made to promote these same officers despite the ongoing cases against them. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which had filed the cases and conducted the raids, is still investigating, which makes the departmental clearance even more questionable.
The most discussed case is that of Siwan’s DEO, Mithilesh Kumar. After raids by the Vigilance Bureau, he was suspended and disciplinary action was started against him. Later, when he retired, the proceedings were shifted under Pension Rules. The operating officer reviewed all the charges twice and declared them unproven. On 19 November, the department officially ended the case and cleared the officer of all allegations. However, the judicial case filed earlier is still open, which means the legal process has not come to a conclusion yet.
These incidents have posed a new challenge for the Nitish Kumar government, which claims zero tolerance for corruption. On paper, the government speaks strongly against corruption, but the increasing number of secret clean chits tells a different story. Experts and citizens fear that if this practice continues, the anti-corruption system in Bihar will become weak, and honest investigations will lose value. The situation has now created public demand for a detailed review to ensure that corrupt officials are not protected by the system.
