Jharkhand Water Scam: ‘Commission-hungry’ engineer’s wife earns ₹6 lakh annually from sewing!

SHAKEEL AKHTAR

Ranchi, April 25: As investigations deepen into the multi-crore Jharkhand drinking water scam, startling details have emerged from one of the accused — Suresh Kumar, an engineer in the state’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. While under scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kumar disclosed that his wife earns ₹5–6 lakh annually through sewing and embroidery work, an income she reportedly declares in her tax filings.

The revelation came as part of a broader financial disclosure during questioning by ED officials, who are probing irregularities and alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts for drinking water infrastructure across the state.

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Kumar, who is accused of being part of a larger network siphoning off commissions from public tenders, admitted to receiving a 0.02% cut from commissions allegedly collected on behalf of a state minister. In addition to his official annual salary of ₹18–20 lakh, Kumar revealed he earns an extra ₹1 lakh through preparing Bills of Quantity (BOQs) at home — income he conceded is not declared in his tax returns.

Investigators also examined the couple’s property holdings. According to Kumar, he owns ancestral land measuring one bigha. Apart from this, he told the ED about having two kattha 12 dhoor land in Morhabadi, Kusum Vihar Colony. His wife owns a 3,600 square-foot plot in the same colony, with a two-storey residence constructed on it. Apart from this, there are two plots of 1100-1100 square feet in Darbhanga in the name of husband and wife.

The ED is continuing its probe into the scam, which has raised serious concerns about corruption in critical infrastructure projects meant to provide safe drinking water to Jharkhand’s rural and urban populations.