Bihar-based contractor Rishu Shree has been arrested by the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) in connection with alleged irregularities in government tenders and money laundering, following a nearly 15-hour raid at his residence in Patna. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is simultaneously pursuing a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the Patna High Court on Thursday declined to intervene in the ongoing probe.

What the Raid Uncovered

The SVU search operation, which began on Wednesday, led to the recovery of significant assets and documents. According to investigators, the haul included diamond, gold, and silver jewellery valued at approximately ₹2 crore, cash of around ₹2.5 lakh, silver utensils, roughly 61 land deeds, multiple electronic devices, and several documents related to financial transactions and property holdings.

An SVU official stated that the seized documents are currently being scrutinised and could expose further details of the alleged scam network. Investigators allege that Shree manipulated government tender processes across multiple departments over a prolonged period.

Allegations: Collusion, Favouritism, and Foreign Trips

According to SVU sources, government contracts were allegedly secured through favouritism and collusion with senior officials, who reportedly influenced tender allotments in the contractor's favour. In a particularly notable allegation, certain officials and their family members were allegedly sponsored for foreign trips in exchange for facilitating contract awards.

The probe has since expanded to examine the role of departmental officials and officers allegedly connected to Shree's operations. Sources indicated that, if the recovered evidence is substantiated during interrogation, further action may be initiated against multiple government officials and employees in the coming days.

ED's Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate has already registered a money laundering case against the accused contractor under the PMLA, running a parallel investigation alongside the SVU. The dual-agency scrutiny signals the scale and seriousness of the alleged financial misconduct.

This comes amid a broader pattern of vigilance crackdowns on contractor-official nexuses in Bihar, where tender manipulation has been a recurring subject of state-level investigations.

High Court Refuses Relief

Shree approached the Patna High Court on Thursday through a criminal writ petition seeking relief from the ongoing investigation. The High Court reportedly declined to interfere, effectively strengthening the hand of the investigative agencies.

Following the court's decision, the SVU and ED have reportedly intensified their scrutiny of the broader tender allocation process across multiple government departments. The agencies are expected to widen the net of accused individuals as the probe advances.