Unveiling the Hidden Wealth: Bihar Vigilance Bureau Raids Expose Real Estate Empire of Retired Officers
In a significant anti-corruption drive, the Bihar Vigilance Bureau (BVIB) conducted raids on five premises linked to two retired Circle Officers (COs) from Hajipur Sadar: Krishna Kumar Singh and Anjay Kumar Rai. The raids, which took place on June 21, revealed a wealth of hidden assets, including jewellery, property documents, and financial irregularities, highlighting a potential web of bureaucratic corruption in land and revenue administration.
The BVIB launched a coordinated strike this week against the two former government officials, who are accused of living well beyond their means. On June 13, the Bureau registered First Information Reports (FIRs) against Krishna Kumar Singh and Anjay Kumar Rai, both former COs of Hajipur Sadar, on charges of accumulating assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. The FIRs allege that Krishna Kumar Singh holds disproportionate assets valued at ₹66.15 lakh, while Rai is accused of amassing ₹46.43 lakh in unexplained wealth. However, officials suggest that these numbers may rise significantly as the probe deepens.
On June 21, vigilance officers executed raids across five locations, including Krishna Kumar Singh’s residences in Rupaspur Bank Colony, Patna, and Koilwar, Bhojpur, and Anjay Kumar Rai’s properties in Buddha Colony and near Hospito India in Patna, as well as Bachhwara, Begusarai. According to bureau sources, jewellery worth ₹13 lakh was recovered from a flat in Buddha Colony, alongside several documents that could establish financial trails, land transactions, and potential benami properties.
Both officers held influential administrative roles during their tenure as Circle Officers, positions often at the center of land mutation, registration, and verification processes, sectors widely reported to be vulnerable to graft. Legal experts point out that vigilance raids on retired officials, while rare, are increasingly becoming essential to hold public servants accountable for long-term corruption that may not be evident during their active service. A former Bihar IAS officer stated that delayed enforcement doesn’t mean a lost cause. These cases act as deterrents and keep the bureaucratic machinery in check.
Vigilance Bureau officials confirmed that they are now analyzing recovered documents, digital storage devices, and transaction records to map financial discrepancies. Based on the evidence, both Singh and Rai could face prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and their properties may be attached pending court approval. Sources close to the investigation claim that more raids and arrests could follow in connected cases, hinting at the possibility of a wider corruption nexus within the land revenue apparatus of Bihar.
The BVIB's actions send a strong message that no one is above the law, and the ongoing investigation will likely have long-lasting implications for transparency and accountability in Bihar’s administrative system.
