Sleuths of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Srijan fund-transfer scam on Monday raided the apartment of Bhagalpur district welfare officer Arun Kumar in Khanjarpur on the basis of a tip-off.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manoj Kumar said: "the team conducted raids at a flat of Arun Kumar, district welfare officer (DWO) at Shyam Kunj apartment located at Khanjarpur locality in the heart of the city.
<>Earlier, we managed to track down some photographs of Arun Kumar with Manorama Devi, the founder of Srijan and also the mastermind of the racket. On the basis of those photographs and some other incriminating evidence of his involvement in the scam, we raided the officer's flat at Shyam Apartments in Khanjarpur."
He added that investigations had established that the officer and his wife, Indu Gupta, used to receive valuable gifts, including property and jewellery worth crores of rupees from the NGO at the centre of the scam.
The SSP also claimed that the investigation team had tracked down transfer of funds from the bank account of the NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd, to that of Indu Gupta on several occasions.
Indu, however, managed to escape with cash and jewellery before the raiding team reached her flat.
"The team could not find any cash or jewellery from the flat. Nor could Arun Kumar give any satisfactory reply about the whereabouts of his missing wife. However, we came to know that she fled Patna yesterday (Sunday) apprehending arrest," the SSP said.
The investigation team targeted another family, which was reportedly maintaining a living standard beyond their known sources of income.
The family of Mahesh Mandal, the nazir (accountant) of the welfare department, living in a remote village, Pista under Jagdishpur block of Bhagalpur district, are under the probe scanner.
"The family owns every modern object of luxury such as air-conditioners in their big house. Mandal's younger son is a local level JDU leader," an SIT member revealed.
However, following arrest, Mandal fell sick and the police had to arrange treatment facilities for him.
The SSP confirmed the arrest of one Binod, the driver of Indian Bank employee Ajay Pandey, who was earlier arrested for his involvement in the scam. He asserted that Binod played a very prominent role in the scam, as there was enough evidence against him for his deep association with other racketeers.
However, Binod's family members accused the police of implicating low-profile people like Binod for saving many big fishes involved in the scam.
With three more arrests, the total number of arrests has touched 11.
When asked about the arrest of Amit Kumar and his wife, Priya Kumar (son and daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi), a senior police officer said Bhagalpur police had sounded a red alert to all airports in the country, apprehending their possible escape abroad, and had also circulated an SoS to the authorities concerned.
