Patna: The state government in Bihar on Wednesday suspended an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Deepak Anand on the charges of corruption.
He is the fourth bureaucrat from the coveted civil service to face the axe in the past few months in Bihar for graft charges. Anand, a 2007 batch IAS officer who served as the district magistrate of Banka and Saran, is accused of possessing property worth Rs24.4 million disproportionate to his known source of income.
The officer had come under fire after the vigilance sleuths uncovered his huge property during multiple raids conducted at various places in twin states of Bihar and Jharkhand earlier this month.
During the raids which lasted for many days, the authorities had also laid their hands on various bank accounts being operated by others. The sleuths also unearthed Kisan Vikas Patra (saving certificate scheme) valued at Rs2.5 million, postal investments worth Rs2.75 million and jewellery receipts worth Rs2.5 million.
The raids were conducted at the officer’s native village in Sitamarhi district, his room at Patna Circuit House, hostel room of his wife Dr Shikha Anand at Katihar Medical College and his in-laws’ house in Godda district in Jharkhand.
The case against the IAS officer Anand and his wife Dr Shika doing post graduation in radiology from a private medical college in Katihar was registered on January 2.
The officer has been waiting for posting for some time but now that he has been placed under suspension, he will be getting only sustainable allowance only, authorities said.
Reports said during the raids the sleuths also sealed the hostel room of the IAS official’s wife at the Katihar Medical College. He is the third IAS officer being investigated in a corruption case and facing the axe in quick succession. Last year in February, a senior IAS office Sudhir Kumar was arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in job scam. He is yet to get bail.
Another IAS officer SM Raju has been suspended by the state government for gross irregularities in distribution of scholarships among Dalit students. Arrest warrant was also issued against him but he managed to get bail from the court. Yet another IAS officer Jitendra Gupta was arrested by the police for allegedly taking bribe from a trucker but he was later cleared of charges by the higher court.
