Bihar IAS officer charged with money laundering

Sleuths of the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU), who had conducted a series of raids on properties of an IAS officer in Bihar, have slapped money laundering charges  against him.

An IAS officer of the 2007 batch, Deepak Anand, against whom an FIR was lodged last week for having assets disproportionate to his known source of income, is believed to own assets worth Rs 2.7 crore. Anand, who was removed as district magistrate of Saran last year after a boat tragedy, has been charged with amassing huge wealth due to his  reported proximity to the sand mafia.

The vigilance sleuths raided the hostel room of his wife Shikha Rani, who is doing her post-graduation in Radiology at Katihar Medical College. In Patna, the couple is believed to have purchased commercial establishments in P&M Mall in posh Patliputra Colony.

During the raid conducted at the Circuit House, where the IAS officer is presently staying awaiting his next posting, the  vigilance officials stumbled upon Kisan Vikas Patras worth Rs 25 lakh, other postal savings worth Rs 25 lakh, besides gold and other jewellerys worth Rs 18 lakh.

Raids were carried out at his ancestral place in Sitamarhi as well as in-laws' house at Godda in Jharkhand. "Initially, an FIR was lodged in connection with the DA case as his assets are multiple times his salary (drawn in the past  10 years). However, after a series of raids, the investigating sleuths have found evidence of violation of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

"Once we go through all the documents seized, chances are a fresh case of money laundering may be slapped against the young IAS officer," said a senior cop, associated with the probe.