PATNA, April 10 -- A five-member team from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) arrived on Thursday and searched files at the Lakhisarai Collectorate regarding "irregularities" allegedly committed in paddy procurement during the tenure of former District Magistrate (DM) Mithilesh Mishra. Mishra was transferred from Lakhisarai only two days ago. The government has given the additional charge of Lakhisarai DM to Senior ADM Ravikant. During his tenure, Mishra allegedly ignored procurement guidelines and standards. It is alleged that the paddy procurement target was set at 47,235 metric tonnes, with an additional target of 8,000 MT. During its investigation, the EoU found that important parameters such as storage capacity and prior performance of the procurement committees were ignored. An EOU official familiar with the matter said the main goal of Thursday's searches/investigation was to find records of such irregularities. Additionally, the EoU is also closely examining the process of issuing arms licenses, expenses on government events and festivals, open gym projects, and the misuse of funds allocated to the Department of Arts and Culture. Earlier, the Cooperatives Department had sought clarification from Mithilesh Mishra regarding the paddy procurement matter. The DM submitted his reply to the department on March 24, 2026. However, the department review found this response unsatisfactory. The investigation also revealed that his explanation did not match the archival facts. "Prima facie, it became clear that there were instances of negligence in the discharge of duty, disregard of departmental instructions and abuse of office in this case. All these allegations fall under the category of misconduct under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules-1968," said the official. The EoU also questioned OSD-cum-District Arms Officer Shashi Kumar about the issuance of arms licenses and its related files. They also sought details of all payments, table book publication and other expenses incurred in the last eighteen months from Mrinal Ranjan, an office bearer of the Arts and Culture Department. Mithilesh Mishra took charge as the District Magistrate of Lakhisarai on September 11, 2024. He had established a place and reputation among locals for his deft administrative skills. "In his 18-month tenure, he established the district's identity at the national level. His administrative leadership was found commendable in the fields of art, culture, sports and tourism. During his tenure, seven festivals, including the state-level youth festival, were also organised. We don't know what has happened," said an official....