Crores in cash, property seized from premises of education department official

Patna: Sleuths of the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) conducted multiple raids on Thursday at the residences and offices of the regional deputy director of the education department, Virendra Narayan, in Patna, Muzaffarpur and Purnia.

The raids were carried out over allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his income. Narayan is accused of accumulating illegal assets worth over Rs 3.76 crore.A significant amount of cash was recovered in Muzaffarpur, requiring a cash-counting machine, while bundles of notes were discovered in a bag in Patna. Searches were being carried out at his luxurious mansion in Purnia till late in the evening.The SVU team restricted entry and exit for outsiders at all three locations and conducted thorough searches of his houses and offices. During the Patna raid, Rs 4 lakh in cash was seized. Narayan is currently posted in the Tirhut division.According to an SVU statement, “In his 27-year career, Narayan amassed property worth crores. During the raid, the team found Rs 14 lakh in cash. He owns a two-storey house in Jaganpura, Patna, with Rs 25 lakh spent on its interior.

On Chitravani Cinema Road in Purnia, there is a four-storey market complex valued at over Rs 2.5 crore. There is also a luxurious three-storey mansion in Rambagh, Purnia, with Rs 35 lakh spent on its interior.

”Narayan also owns a flat in Sector 118, Noida. Documents for several plots in the Jokihat and Sadar areas of Purnia were found in the name of his wife, Sneha Nidhi, along with details of her bank accounts. The officer invested over Rs 50 lakh in fixed deposits. Jewellery worth crores was also recovered during the raid and is currently being evaluated, the SVU added.