State govt suspends two IASofficers in tender scam case

Patna: The state govt on Saturday suspended two IAS officers in the tender scam case – Yogesh Kumar Sagar of the 2017 batch and Abhilasha Kumari Sharma of the 2014 batch, an official said.The decision came three days after the Bihar Police’s Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) raided the Patna premises of contractor Rishu Shree on May 27. Following the raid, Rishu was arrested on Thursday and produced before the Special Vigilance Court, which sent him to Beur Central Jail on 14 days of judicial custody.As investigators from the Centre’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Bihar’s SVU compared findings, a picture emerged of how Rishu allegedly operated. A Patna-based contractor, he allegedly managed transfers and postings of senior officers to control tenders. Instead of relying solely on cash, he allegedly built influence by funding high-end lifestyles for cooperative officers, securing loyalty through expensive favours.The ED investigation revealed Rishu took IAS officer Yogesh Kumar Sagar and eight relatives on a Europe trip from June 22, 2024, to June 30, 2024. Yogesh and his family members visited Vienna, Salzburg and Wolfgang in Austria, staying in luxury hotels. The total expenditure on air travel and hotel stays was Rs 22 lakh, and investigators said Rishu paid the entire amount.Investigators also alleged Rishu financed the luxury renovation of a rooftop garden at the residence of Abhilasha Kumari Sharma at a cost of Rs 9 lakh. They said he gifted premium consumer electronics to the officer and paid for trips undertaken by her relatives to Goa, Delhi and Hyderabad. The case file also mentioned iPhones and other expensive gifts allegedly given to her.A senior IPS officer said both IAS officers were under intense scrutiny for allegedly accepting illegal gratification and high-value favours from the contractor. Rishu was accused of manipulating govt tenders and exerting undue influence over official decisions during the officers’ tenures linked to the urban development and housing department and the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (Buidco). Yogesh Kumar Sagar served as managing director of Buidco from March 7, 2024, to Feb 17, 2025. Abhilasha Kumari Sharma did not serve directly in Buidco, but exercised administrative authority over it through her concurrent posting as joint secretary in the urban development and housing department, Buidco’s parent department.According to the agencies, Rishu colluded with senior department officials to insert highly specific eligibility clauses into tender drafts, disqualifying standard competitors and steering contracts towards his firm or associates. He allegedly ran a fixed commission network, charging 8% to 10% of contract value as “speed money”, with a significant portion distributed as bribes for swift clearances and inflated billing.The case also carried the shadow of an earlier ED raid on March 27 last year, when Rs 12 crore in cash was recovered from the residences of senior engineers and bureaucrats, including chief engineer Tarini Das. The ED said the money represented kickbacks and bribe shares paid by Rishu to clear pending bills and secure lucrative tenders.