Patna: IPS officer Amit Lodha, currently serving as Additional Director General of Police in Bihar, is facing heightened legal scrutiny after the state government approved the prosecution of a case against him registered with the Special Surveillance Unit (SVU).
The approval allows the SVU to proceed under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Bihar National Services (BNS) Act. Authorities have also sent a proposal to the central government seeking permission to prosecute Lodha on corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Once central approval is obtained, proceedings will begin.
The case against Amit revolves around allegations of disproportionate asset accumulation during his tenure as Inspector General in the Magadh Range, Gaya. The SVU reported that in August 2021, Amit visited Mumbai to meet the production team of a web series and received Rs 12,372 in his HDFC Bank account from the company Friday Story Teller LLP. In September 2021, while posted in Daltonganj, Jharkhand, Lodha again visited the shooting location and was paid Rs 75,900. The authorities allege that these payments, combined with other assets, are inconsistent with his declared income of less than Rs 2 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate has also filed an Enforcement Case Information Report against Lodha under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, which is currently pending.
Earlier, the Patna High Court rejected Amit’s petition seeking the cancellation of the FIR related to the SVU case, further allowing the investigation to continue.
