Bihar cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Hans generated "proceeds of crime" through corrupt practices during his stints with the state government and at the Centre and he was "assisted" by former RJD MLC Gulab Yadav in laundering this "ill-gotten" money, the ED alleged Wednesday.

The federal agency said in a statement that it undertook fresh searches in this money laundering case investigation against the two and it raided 13 locations in Delhi, Gurugram, Kolkata, Jaipur and Nagpur on Tuesday. The premises of some close associates of Hans and people engaged in the real estate and service sector were searched.

Involvement of a few private individuals who used to "assist" Hans in the generation and "laundering" of "ill-gotten money" from corrupt practices has been found during the investigation, the ED claimed.

"ED investigation revealed that Sanjeev Hans has generated proceeds of crime by indulging in corrupt practices while holding various prime postings in the Bihar government and also during his central deputations.

"Gulab Yadav and other associates have assisted Sanjeev Hans in laundering the ill-gotten money generated from corrupt practices," the ED alleged.

Hans, a 1997-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has served as the principal secretary of the Bihar energy department while Yadav is a former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator.

He represented the Jhanjharpur Assembly seat in Madhubani district from 2015 to 2020.

The two could not be contacted immediately for their comments on these allegations made by the ED.

The ED said shares worth Rs 60 crore kept in some "newly opened" demat accounts of the family members of one of the close associates (currently under judicial custody in this case) of Hans have been found during the searches.

Details of 70 bank accounts have been found from the premises of this close associate and these accounts appear to have been used for "layering and laundering" of proceeds of crime and concealment of "unexplained" cash, it said.

This unidentified person, alleged to be linked to Hans, invested Rs 18 crore in the real estate and evidence regarding the concealment of "huge cash" in such deals has also been gathered, the ED claimed.

All these assets have been frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency said "unexplained" foreign exchange of Rs 16 lakh and cash of Rs 23 lakh was also seized from some other premises that were raided.

In addition, it said, various pieces of evidence in physical and digital form and "incriminating" from the corruption angle were also seized.

The money-laundering case against Has, Yadav and others stems from an FIR of the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) of Bihar police filed last month against Hans and Yadav on charges of corruption and alleged possession of disproportionate assets.

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