New Delhi: The CBI has registered a case in connection with the illegal transfer of Rs 100 crore from a Jharkhand government account for the midday meal programme in State Bank of India to a private builder, officials said on Thursday.

The agency carried out searches at the official premises of the accused and the company Bhanu Construction in Ranchi on Wednesday, officials said. The FIR was registered against the company, its partners Sanjay Kumar Tiwari and Suresh Kumar and Ajay Oraon, former deputy manager of the bank’s Hatia branch who has now been suspended.

The FIR, registered on the complaint of a State Bank of India officer, alleged that a deputy manager of the bank “dishonestly and by abusing his official position” transferred over Rs 100 crore from the account of “Rajya Madhyan Bhojan Pradhikaran” to Bhanu Construction.

“On August 05, 2017, State Bank of India, Hatia Branch received six debit advices from the...Government of Jharkhand for transfer of Rs 120.31 crore from their Saving Bank Account to multiple accounts maintained with different banks including State Bank of India,” it alleged.

Rs 20.29 crore was to be transferred to State Bank of India and Rs 100.01 crore was to be transferred to other bank accounts, the FIR said. Rs 100.01 crore was debited from the account of Jharkhand Rajya Madhyan Bhojan Pradhikaran and was temporarily parked in office account of the branch for processing of the transfer.