Patna: IAS officer Sanjeev Hans, who is currently being sought by the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) in connection with an alleged tender scam, has questioned the legal basis of the case against him in a four-page letter addressed to SVU Additional Director General Pankaj Darad.
The letter surfaced as the vigilance agency continued efforts to trace Hans, who has remained untraceable since the registration of the case. A five-member SVU team, including two Deputy Superintendents of Police, reportedly visited his residence on two consecutive days but was unable to locate him.
Questions Raised Over FIR
In his letter, Hans, who is additional member of state revenue board, alleged that he had been named as an accused without sufficient evidence or any preliminary inquiry.
He argued that the SVU case, registered as Case No. 05/2025, is based on the same set of facts as Rupaspur police station case No. 18/2023, which was subsequently quashed by the Patna High Court. According to Hans, an appeal linked to that matter was later dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Hans claimed that the latest FIR was registered after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared information with the SVU following the High Court’s decision.
According to him, the new case merely reiterates earlier allegations while adding that a company received a contract during his tenure in the Water Resources Department.
Tender Process Followed Rules, Says Hans
Hans maintained that the information supplied by the ED did not point to any irregularity, corruption or procedural violation in the tender process.
Citing provisions of the Bihar Public Works Department Code, Hans stated that tenders valued above Rs 350 lakh are decided by the Departmental Tender Committee and not by any individual officer.
He noted that the Secretary serves only as the chairperson of the committee, while decisions are taken collectively.
According to Hans, the Physical Modeling Center project at Birpur was part of a World Bank-funded scheme and the contract was awarded only after technical evaluation, departmental approval and concurrence from the World Bank.
He said administrative approval was granted by a committee headed by the Development Commissioner and that the proposal subsequently passed through various technical and financial evaluation stages.
“Multiple officials and committees were involved in the entire process,” Hans wrote, arguing that it would be inappropriate to hold a single officer personally responsible for decisions taken collectively.
Denies Links To Company Named In FIR
Hans also denied any connection with Rishu Shri or companies associated with her.
Referring to a Rs 20 lakh transaction mentioned in the FIR, he stated that the transaction took place in February 2022, when he was no longer serving in the Water Resources Department.
He further claimed that no company owned by Rishu Shri had received any contract from the department during his tenure.
Hans asserted that the financial transaction cited in the FIR involved two private entities and that he had no role in, or connection with, the transaction.
He questioned the basis on which he had been named as an accused, arguing that even the material shared by the Enforcement Directorate contained no direct evidence linking him to any wrongdoing.
Calls For Impartial Investigation
In the concluding section of the letter, Hans urged the Special Vigilance Unit to conduct an impartial investigation based on official records and verifiable evidence.
He stated that he was willing to cooperate fully with the inquiry and requested that conclusions be drawn only after examining all relevant documents and procedures.
The Special Vigilance Unit is continuing its investigation into the alleged tender scam. Several arrests have already been made in connection with the case, and officials have indicated that further action remains under consideration as the probe progresses.
