Patna: The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) on Tuesday conducted searches at five locations linked to Harendra Kumar, an executive engineer with the Minor Water Resources Department’s Banka division, as part of a disproportionate assets case.
The searches in Patna, Vaishali and Banka led to the recovery of Rs 12.92 lakh in cash, gold and silver jewellery valued at around Rs 81 lakh, and documents relating to eight land plots and flats, according to the SVU.
The agency said its preliminary investigation has identified assets allegedly exceeding Kumar’s known sources of income by around Rs 2.20 crore. The figure is subject to change after scrutiny of the documents and other material seized during the searches.
Rs 81 Lakh Jewellery Recovered From Patna Flat
The SVU searched Flat No. 307 at Janak Nandini Apartment in the Patrakar Nagar area of Patna, where it recovered Rs 9.50 lakh in cash.
Gold and silver jewellery valued at approximately Rs 81 lakh was also found at the flat. Investigators seized bills and vouchers linked to the purchase of high-value items, including a car, motorcycle and scooter.
Cash And Property Documents Found In Vaishali
At Kumar’s ancestral residence in Simarwara village in Patepur, Vaishali, the search team recovered Rs 3.42 lakh in cash and two documents related to land ownership.
The combined cash recovered from the locations searched so far stands at Rs 12.92 lakh, the SVU said.
Eight Properties Under Investigation
Kumar joined government service in 2015, according to the SVU. Investigators have so far identified documents relating to eight properties registered in the names of Kumar and his wife.
Six of the properties are located in Patna and two in Vaishali. The SVU is examining their purchase value and the sources of funds used to acquire them.
The properties identified in the preliminary investigation include a flat in Patrakar Nagar purchased for Rs 71.72 lakh in May 2023.
Investigators have also found details of a flat near Mithapur Agricultural Farm valued at Rs 26.76 lakh and land in Danapur purchased for Rs 15 lakh in August 2024.
Land Purchases In Patna
The SVU said documents showed the purchase of land near Beur Crossing for Rs 12.47 lakh in 2016.
Other records include land in Sampatchak purchased for Rs 4.38 lakh in May 2024 and 1.5 decimals of land in Parsa, Patna, valued at Rs 4.38 lakh.
Properties In Wife’s Name
The investigation has also identified land worth Rs 5.50 lakh in the Mahua area of Vaishali.
Another plot, valued at Rs 3.12 lakh, was purchased in Kumar’s wife’s name in Patepur, according to the SVU.
The agency is cross-checking the property documents and purchase details against the declared income and financial records of Kumar and his wife.
Five Bank Accounts Under Scrutiny
Information relating to five bank accounts held by Kumar and his wife was also recovered during the searches.
The accounts are with the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Bandhan Bank. The SVU said the deposits and transactions in these accounts are being examined as part of the investigation.
The agency has registered an FIR in the case. Further assessment of the alleged disproportionate assets will depend on the scrutiny of the seized documents, bank records, cash and other materials.
