ED arrests Bihar IAS officer, former RJD MLA Gulab Yadav in money laundering probe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Bihar-cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Hans and former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Gulab Yadav on Friday, October 18, in connection with a money laundering case. Hans, a 1997-batch officer who previously served as the principal secretary of the Bihar Energy Department, was arrested in Patna. Meanwhile, Yadav was detained in Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The arrests were made as part of the investigation into the Jal Jeevan Mission scam and allegations of corruption. The money laundering case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Bihar Police. ED officials conducted fresh raids on Friday before making the arrests.
Last month, the ED searched locations in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata linked to financial dealings involving Sanjeev Hans. These searches resulted in the seizure of Rs 87 lakh in cash, 13 kg of silver bullion, and 2 kg of gold bullion and jewelry worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore. The searches also uncovered evidence of hawala and banking transactions.
Previous searches in July and August at various locations, including Patna and Delhi, uncovered gold jewelry and luxury watches worth over Rs 80 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, respectively, from Hans' premises.
Hans, who was recently transferred from the energy department to the general administration department, is accused of involvement in a tender scam in the Bihar power ministry. Yadav, a former MLA from Jhanjarpur, is believed to be closely associated with Hans.
In addition to the money laundering investigation, Hans had faced accusations of sexual exploitation, though these charges were quashed by the Patna High Court in August.