ED attaches IAS officer's properties worth 2.51 crore

The Enforcement Directorate has seized properties worth over Rs 2 crore of a senior IAS officer of Bihar cadre, who had been charged with amassing huge wealth during his tenure as the district magistrate of Munger and the commissioner of Patna Municipal Corporation.

He is presently posted as director of employment and training with the state labour department.

"The agency has attached assets worth Rs 2.51 crore of K Senthil Kumar, 1996 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre," a release issued by the ED yesterday said, adding that the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Patna, had, in the past, filed a charge sheet against the bureaucrat for money laundering.

Kumar had been accused of "causing huge loss to the exchequer" by illegally approving maps for builders, awarding contracts to favoured firms and inadequate collection of holding tax from prominent hotels of Patna, it said.

"During investigation it was found that K Senthil Kumar had amassed huge wealth by corrupt means during his tenure as district magistrate, Munger, and commissioner, Patna Municipal Corporation.

"He laundered his illegal wealth through firms such as M/s Sudha Super Market and M/s Chennai Cafe at Patna and a trust - K Indira Memorial Educational Trust - at Tamil Nadu, which is managed by his family members," the release said.

The attached properties include a flat in Patna, a plot and building of K Indira Memorial Trust, 35 plots at Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, registered in the name of his family members, and available balance in seven bank accounts, held in the name of the officer and K Indira Memorial Trust.

"This is second attachment of properties of a senior IAS officer by ED within one month. Last month, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 1.8 crore of Pradeep Kumar (1991 batch IAS), former DM of Patna and the present commissioner of Santhal Pargana," the release added.