New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Monday that it has seized cash to the tune of Rs 2.87 crore and recovered documents related to the purchase of more than 100 plots along with several other incriminating documents after raiding premises linked to Amit Kumar aka Bachcha Rai, the mastermind of the 2016 Bihar topper scam.

The ED said that it carried out searches at the residential premises of Kumar, Vishun Rai Mahavidyalaya and Vishun Rajdev Teachers' Training College in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Saturday.

The agency said that on March 31, 2018, it had attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 4.53 crore and had filed a charge sheet under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before a special PMLA court in Patna on December 10, ,2018 for confiscation of properties worth Rs 4.53 crore wherein charges have not yet been framed due to non-appearance of the accused persons.

The agency said that it came to the notice of ED in November that some illegal construction work is being carried out by Kumar on already attached land in Bhagwanpur.

“Accordingly, searches were carried out which resulted in cash seizure of Rs 2.87 crore, recovery and seizure of documents related to the purchase of more than 100 plots and several other incriminating documents,” the ED said.

The ED case is based on an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Kotwali police station in Patna against Kumar and others under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The scam came to light on May 31, 2016 when Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) arts and humanities topper Ruby Rai, science topper Saurabh Shrestha, and third topper in science stream Rahul Kumar were interviewed by news channels in which they were unable to answer basic questions.

A probe was initiated following which the ED had registered a case in 2017 on the basis of an FIR filed by the Bihar Police.