SVU raids contractor’s Patna residence, seizes jewellery worth Rs 2 crore

Patna: The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) on Wednesday recovered ornaments worth around Rs 2 crore and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash during a raid at the residence of contractor Rishu Shri in Patna, as part of an ongoing probe into alleged tender manipulation and corruption.

An eight-member SVU team searched his flat in the Mithapur area of the state capital and examined documents, bank transactions and electronic devices. Rishu is accused of manipulating govt tenders to benefit his company and of extending undue favours to officials.

Investigators are also examining allegations that he financed foreign trips of senior IAS officers in exchange for securing contracts. An Enforcement Directorate (ED) report six months ago alleged that he sponsored trips of 2017-batch IAS officer Yogesh Kumar Sagar and 2014-batch IAS officer Abhilasha Kumari Sharma, along with their families, to destinations in Europe and Australia, covering travel and accommodation costs.

The probe further found that Rishu allegedly spent around Rs 9 lakh on terrace gardening work at Abhilasha Sharma’s residence.

Earlier, in Nov 2025, an ED team had raided the same premises and seized Rs 51 lakh in cash, ornaments worth about Rs 2 crore and 61 sale deeds. On Nov 25 last year, the ED also conducted searches at nine locations linked to him in Ahmedabad, Surat, Gurgaon and Delhi, recovering Rs 33 lakh in cash, key documents and digital devices.

SVU ADG Pankaj Darad confirmed receipt of the ED’s communication and said the matter has been forwarded to the additional chief secretary, vigilance. An FIR against the two IAS officers will be registered after due approval.

Rishu is already under investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The current SVU search and verification of documents are underway.