The Bihar Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) carried out a significant raid in Bettiah on Monday, March 2, 2026. Officials arrested Raushan Kumar, an Assistant Engineer in the Education Department, for accepting a bribe of Rs 5 Lakh. The arrest happened just before the Holi festival, drawing attention to the ongoing crackdown on corruption in state infrastructure projects. The accused is a resident of Lakhisarai and holds the position of District Education Project Officer.
Details of the Trap Operation
The trap was laid based on a complaint filed by a contractor named Shams Tabrez from Rahimpura Nautan. The Vigilance Investigation Bureau verified the complaint in Patna before taking action. A team led by DSP Bindeshwar Prasad and DSP Sudhir Kumar caught the engineer red-handed near the District Education Office.
During the raid, officials recovered Rs 5 Lakh in cash. They also found a smartwatch which was reportedly part of the demanded bribe. The accused has been taken to Patna for further legal proceedings under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Why Was the Money Demanded?
The investigation revealed that the bribe was linked to pending bills for school infrastructure work. The contractor had submitted bills totaling Rs 57 Lakh for school repairs and the installation of submersible pumps. The engineer allegedly asked for a 10% commission to pass these bills.
The total bribe demanded was approximately Rs 7.5 Lakh. The amount of Rs 5 Lakh recovered during the raid was being paid as the first installment of this commission. This incident follows a previous case where DEO Rajnikant Praveen was arrested for corruption, indicating ongoing issues within the local education department.
