The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Amrapali Group managing director Anil Sharma, along with six others, in connection with the murder of a former secretary of a renowned educational institute in Bihar in August 2014. Last month, the CBI took over the investigation of the case from the Bihar Police’s criminal investigation department (CID) on the orders of the Patna high court. The matter was initially investigated by the local police but was later handed over to the CID in October 2014.
The case relates to the murder of Dr Sharad Chandra, the then secretary of Balika Vidyapeeth, in Lakhisarai on August 2, 2014. He was shot dead while he was reading a newspaper at his residence inside the university campus.
In the FIR, it has been alleged that in August 2009, Sharma, MD of Amrapali Group, usurped the trust of Balika Vidyapeeth with the help of Rajendra Prasad Singhania, Dr Praveen Kumar Sinha, Shyam Sunder Prasad and Shambhu Sharan Singh. The deceased Dr Chandra was forcibly removed from the trust, which led to a dispute between the two parties.
In the FIR, it was also alleged that the income of Balika Vidyapeeth was being usurped by opening a personal account. The account was operated by Dr Praveen Kumar Sinha and Shyam Sunder Singh. Chand made a complaint regarding the unlawful manner in which the Balika Vidyapeeth was being run.
“Chand was also regularly threatened and attacked, his house was damaged and firings were made in the past,” the FIR read.
While ordering a CBI probe, the Patna HC noted that CID had failed to perform its duty to conduct a “free, fair and impartial” investigation in this case.
Sharma was granted anticipatory bail in the case in December 2014. Incidentally, Sharma is also accused of defrauding home buyers in Noida and Greater Noida and was sent to jail by the Supreme Court in September 2019. Sharma is currently out on bail on medical grounds.
Last year in May, the CBI also booked Sharma, Amrapali Leisure Valley Developers Pvt Ltd, and others for allegedly cheating the Bank of Maharashtra and Andhra Bank of over ₹230 crores.
