The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties worth Rs. 23.72 crore, allegedly linked to Mr. Sanjeev Hans, a 1997-batch IAS officer currently lodged in Beur Central Jail. The ED is meticulously building a case against Mr. Hans, accusing him of orchestrating a sophisticated money-laundering operation.
The attached assets include land parcels in Nagpur, a flat in Delhi, and three flats in Jaipur, reportedly purchased using “Proceeds of Crime” (POC) from Mr. Hans’s alleged corrupt activities during his tenure in key Bihar government roles and central deputations from 2018 to 2023. These properties were held in the names of associates, including Mr. Praveen Chaudhary and Mr. Pushpraj Bajaj, to obscure real ownership.
Mr. Hans’s tenure as Chairman and Managing Director of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited is under intense scrutiny. The ED alleges that during this period, he exploited his position to amass wealth far beyond his legitimate income.
The case took a dramatic turn in January 2023 with a rape allegation against Mr. Hans and former RJD MLA Mr. Gulab Yadav. Although the Patna High Court quashed the FIR, the ED unearthed graver offences, leading to their October 18 arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The investigation uncovered Demat accounts holding shares worth Rs. 60 crore, 70 bank accounts, and suspicious cash deposits of Rs. 6 crore. Raids across multiple cities yielded luxury items, unexplained cash, and bullion worth crores.
Once a powerful bureaucrat commanding Bihar’s energy department, Mr. Hans now faces allegations of audacious corruption and institutional failure. His case underscores the dangers of unchecked power and the critical need for robust oversight in governance.
