Bihar Vigilance Raids Bureaucrat Couple’s Premises, Recovers Nearly Rs 80 Lakh Cash, Jewellery

The case has been registered against Ravindra Kumar Diwakar, Additional District Magistrate (Supply) in Patna, and his wife Kumari Sweety, a Sub-Registrar posted in Danapur.

According to the Vigilance Bureau, the couple is suspected of possessing assets worth around Rs 1.07 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income. The case was registered on September 25 under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

During the searches, officials recovered Rs 70.53 lakh in cash from the couple's Patna flat and another Rs 9.44 lakh from their residence in Begusarai. The combined cash recovery was approximately Rs 79.98 lakh.

Gold, silver and diamond jewellery recovered from the two premises was provisionally valued at Rs 52.60 lakh. Jewellery found at the Patna property was valued at around Rs 23.89 lakh, while items recovered from Begusarai were estimated at Rs 28.70 lakh.

The Vigilance teams also seized 48 wristwatches of various brands, with a provisional combined value of approximately Rs 6.01 lakh.

Officials recovered documents relating to investments and bank accounts during the searches. Proceedings have also begun to freeze two bank accounts held by the couple.

The investigation has so far identified seven immovable properties purchased in their names between 2017 and 2026. These include two flats in Danapur, three plots with a combined area of 11.7 decimals in Phulwari Sharif and two plots covering 24 decimals in Begusarai.

According to the purchase documents, the combined value of the seven properties is around Rs 2.92 crore. The actual value of the two Danapur flats is yet to be determined, as interior work involving wood and plywood was reportedly underway when the searches were carried out.

The Technical Examination Cell will undertake the valuation of the properties.

The searches were conducted after the Vigilance Bureau obtained warrants from the Special Vigilance Court in Patna. Four teams searched the couple's residence and offices in Patna as well as their Begusarai residence.

According to Vigilance officials, Ravindra Kumar Diwakar began his government career as a teacher in 2000 before moving into various administrative positions. He subsequently served as District Public Relations Officer in Saran, Senior Deputy Collector in Katihar and Darbhanga, Public Grievance Redressal Officer in Saharsa and Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Samastipur. He also served as Senior Deputy Collector in Gaya and Patna before being appointed Additional District Magistrate (Supply) in Patna in October 2025.

His wife, Kumari Sweety, is a 2013-batch Sub-Registrar. She served in Teghra between 2013 and 2017, Haveli Kharagpur from 2017 to 2021 and Sakra from 2021 to 2024 before being posted to Danapur in 2024.

The Vigilance Investigation Bureau is continuing to examine the assets, financial records and other documents recovered during the searches.