The Enforcement Directorate questioned suspended IAS officer Yogesh Kumar Sagar in Patna on Wednesday as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in Bihar government tenders, focusing on an Austria trip allegedly funded by contractor Rishu Shree for the former Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation managing director and eight members of his family.
According to ED officials cited in the report, Sagar appeared at the agency’s Patna office to answer questions about his alleged relationship with Rishu Shree and financial benefits purportedly extended by the contractor. The agency is examining whether those benefits were connected to the award of government contracts and whether the contractor received preferential treatment in tender allocation.
The alleged Austria trip, covering Vienna, Salzburg and Wolfgang, is estimated to have cost Rs 21.92 lakh. The expenditure allegedly included air tickets and hotel accommodation for Sagar and eight family members, ED officials said. The agency is investigating why the contractor allegedly paid for the travel and whether the spending formed part of a broader exchange of benefits linked to official decisions.
Sagar, a 2017-batch IAS officer and former BUIDCO managing director, was suspended by the Bihar government on May 30, 2026, after his name surfaced in the alleged tender irregularities case, according to the ED. BUIDCO is responsible for implementing urban infrastructure projects in the state, making the investigation relevant to the administration and allocation of public works.
The agency is also examining allegations that other public officials received foreign travel and other benefits funded by Rishu Shree. ED officials said another suspended IAS officer, 2014-batch officer Abhilasha Kumari Sharma, had also been questioned in the case.
The ED said around Rs 19 lakh was allegedly spent on foreign travel involving Sharma and her family, along with other alleged benefits. Investigators are seeking to determine whether the hospitality and financial assistance allegedly provided to government officials were linked to irregularities in the allocation of tenders.
The questioning forms part of a wider financial investigation into the alleged relationship between the contractor and public servants. The agency is examining financial transactions and possible links between the alleged benefits and government contract awards, according to officials cited in the report.
The ED has stressed that the allegations remain under investigation and that no conclusions have been drawn so far. Further action will depend on the findings of the ongoing probe, the agency said.
