Security personnel outside Mohammad Kamal Asharaf’s house in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Economic offences unit officials carried out raids on the office and residence of a district sub-registrar and stumbled upon unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 5 crore on Wednesday.

According to sources, four separate teams of the EOU conducted raids at the office of Bhagalpur district sub-registrar Mohammad Kamal Asharaf in Bhagalpur and his residence at Alinagar (Anisabad) in Patna and seized Rs 28.77 lakh and gold ornaments worth Rs 28 lakh. Documents related to investments in insurance worth over Rs 20 lakh and deposits in bank accounts worth Rs 45 lakh were also found. Asharaf is also the executive engineer of the public health and engineering department.

The members of the raiding teams were surprised over the seizure of documents related to purchase of several plots of land in Patna, Gaya and Jehanabad. Asharaf, who was appointed as an assistant sub-registrar in 1987, purchased 11 plots in the name of his wife Nagma Shadab in Danapur, Phulwarisharif and Naubatpur areas of Patna.

Asharaf also owned a flat at Imam Plaza (Anisabad) and a shop at Jubeda Commercial Complex on Exhibition Road in the name of his wife. Sources said he had bought two flats (1,690sqft each) at Noida in the name of his son and daughter. The officials said documents related to three separate plots purchased in the name of his father in-law at Bodhgaya and one plot at Kako in Jehanabad in the name of his wife were also recovered during search at his house at Alinagar.

Additional director-general (law and order) S.K. Bhardwaj said unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 3.19 crore belonging to the district sub-registrar had been detected in the course of preliminary investigation. The officials also came to know about his 40 accounts and lockers in different banks.

“The lockers will be opened in the presence of magistrates. Efforts are on to gather detailed information about deposits in the accounts,” he said, adding that two luxury vehicles were also seized during the search operation.

In another raid, the EOU officials detected disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.66 crore belonging to Ramadhar Ram, an executive engineer of the public health and engineering department. Ram is posted in Siwan division.

Bhardwaj said immovable property worth Rs 1.15 crore and immovable property worth 51.19 lakh had been discovered during search at his office and residential premises in Siwan and East Champaran, respectively.