EOU conducts multi-location raids on power engineer's houses, offices

Patna/Madhubani: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) conducted raids at the residential and official premises of Manoj Kumar Rajak, executive engineer of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL). Manoj is currently posted as executive engineer in the electric supply division, Jainagar.

Officials said Manoj had allegedly amassed 62% more assets than his known sources of income. The EOU team, accompanied by police, was scrutinising property and investment documents of the executive engineer.

The seven locations where raids were conducted are connected to the engineer, including his office and residence at Jainagar; his brother Sanjay Kumar Rajak’s gas agency office, gas godown, and residence in Karjain (Supaul). Additional searches were carried out at the gas agency office in Nirmali and a gas godown in Bauraha. Raids were also conducted at the engineer’s residence in Karjain.

According to a statement issued by the EOU, “During the raid, a total of 17 land documents were found, which were from Darbhanga, Araria, and Siliguri in West Bengal. The market value of these lands is more than Rs3 crore. The value of the financial documents is approximately Rs1 crore. Two four-wheelers were found, besides Rs 4,25,000 deposited in a bank account, and Rs 1,05,000 in cash was recovered during the search.”

The EOU revealed that the engineer runs a gas agency in his brother’s name. The agency, opened after a plot was purchased in the name of his brother, was later transferred to the engineer.

Rajak showed that the SUV purchased in the name of the gas agency was being used for official work, and rent was being drawn from the govt treasury.

“During the investigation, it was found that three buildings and a warehouse were being constructed in the engineer’s village. A warehouse has also been built in Nirmali, and a residential house has been constructed in Darbhanga town, the valuation of which is being done,” the EOU statement said.

During the search, it was also found that the engineer had allegedly married a close relative in Nepal and was constructing a house in her name at Haripura in Sunsari district, Nepal. Papers were also found regarding land taken on lease for opening a petrol pump on Biraul Path in Darbhanga in the name of his wife, Veenashri Bharti.