PATNA: Sleuths of the
Special Vigilance Unit
(SVU) on Friday raided four premises of
Samastipur sub-registrar Mani Ranjan
and unearthed disproportionate assets (DA) worth more than Rs 5 crore amassed by him.
The SVU recovered Rs 73.5 lakh in cash from Ranjan’s three premises. It also came to light that Ranjan was filing Rs 2 lakh annual return in his driver’s name and owned a 21-room hotel of three-star category at Brahmapura, a prime location in Muzaffarpur. The market value of the hotel is estimated to be over Rs 20 crore.
The SVU, which had lodged an FIR against the sub-registrar on Thursday, had knowledge about only Rs 1.62 crore DA of Ranjan.
However, the value of DA increased to over Rs 5 crore following raids conducted at his brother’s flat in Patligram Apartment at Bajrangpuri near Biscomaun roundabout at Kumhrar in Patna, Tusli Kunj in Samastipur and another house in Panchawati lane at Kolhua chowk and a flat in Muzaffarpur.
The SVU sleuths had also raided his office in Samastipur. Ranjan had joined service in 2010. Sources said Ranjan’s brother works in rural works department of the state government.
The SVU sources said Rs 60 lakh in cash was recovered from Kumhrar, Rs 1.5 lakh from Samastipur and Rs 12 lakh from Muzaffarpur.
The SVU also found documents of two flats, including one worth Rs 32 lakh, and two plots worth Rs 1.5 crore from Kumhrar during the raid.
In Samastipur, the SVU found Rs 1.5 lakh in cash, Rs 8 lakh deposited in bank accounts and documents of four expensive vehicles, including an SUV.
In Muzaffarpur, the SVV recovered Rs 12 lakh in cash, documents related to Bramhapura hotel which is being given final touches and a shop worth Rs 22 lakh in Paras Mall.
“The vigilance has come to know about immovable property worth several crores amassed by Ranjan in Katihar while he was posted there from 2018 to 2021. The SVU has got preliminary information about three plots and shops in Katihar,” a senior officer said.
The officer added a team would soon be sent to Katihar for further investigation. He said Ranjan was laundering ill-gotten money by running at least six shell firms in Patna, Katihar and Muzaffarpur and buying property in the names of his wife, brother, father-in-law, driver and other family members.
The SVU sources said further investigation would be conducted to find out in whose names the houses in Samastipur and Muzaffarpur were registered.
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