Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday recommended a CBI inquiry into the multi-crore Bhagalpur Srijan scam, robbing the Opposition an issue to question his zero-tolerance on corruption stand.
The scam involves allege transfer of government funds amounting to Rs 1000 crore to accounts of a non-government organisation, Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti, between 2007 and 2013, when BJP leader Sushil Modi was finance minister.
The NGO is based at Bhgalpur’s Sabour.
The chief minister decided to hand over the case to the central investigating agency after a high-level review meeting he had with chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, DGP P K Thakur, principal secretary (home) Amir Subhani and inspector general of police (IG), economic offence unit (EOU), Jitendra Singh Gangwar, a government communiqué said.
Gangwar was sent to Bhagalpur to inquire into the matter.
The initial probe has revealed involvement of nationalised banks, government officials and employees.
Earlier, opposition parties led by leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad called for a CBI robe into the scam.
The scam came as a major embarrassment for Kumar, who had broken ranks with opposition to join the BJP-led NDA last month on the issue of corruption charges against Tejashwi and other members of Lalu Prasad’s family.
Earlier in the day, Tejashwi raised the Bhagalpur scam during his ongoing Janadesh Apman Yatra launched to convey that Kumar had renounced the huge mandate the “grand alliance” comprising the RJD, JD(U) and Congress had received in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, Tejashwi raised the Bhagalpur scam during his ongoing Janadesh Apman Yatra launched to convey that Kumar had renounced the huge mandate the “grand alliance” comprising the RJD, JD(U) and Congress had received in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections.
{{/usCountry}}disseminate his message that Kumar had renounced the big mandate received by the ‘grand alliance’ by taking his party, the JD (U) out of it and forming a new government with the BJP.
“It is high time that chief minister Nitish Kumar recommend a CBI probe into the Srijan scam as he claims to have zero tolerance towards corruption,” Yadav said in Bhagalpur.
After days of investigation, a Special Investigation Team found that crores of rupees had been diverted from bank accounts of different departments in Bhagalpur district, with the help of the NGO.
So far, eight people have been arrested, including Prem Kumar, an aide of the Bhagalpur district magistrate, in connection with the scam.
SIT officials said an FIR was lodged against board members of the NGO and officials of Indian Bank in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 10.26 crore meant for the Mukhyamantri Shahari Vikas Yojana.
Two more FIRs were lodged in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of funds of the land acquisition department.
Lalu had also called for a CBI inquiry into the scam.