The Special Vigilance court in north Bihar ordered the state Vigilance Bureau on Friday to probe Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s role in the purchase of Rs 8-crore medicines for cattle in January 2008.
Special Vigilance Judge (North Bihar) A.K. Saran asked the bureau to file its report by December 21. Modi, however, refused to comment on the court order.
The court passed the order on a complaint filed by senior advocate Sudhir Ojha, who alleged irregularities in purchase of medicines in January 2008 when Modi had the additional charge of the animal resources ministry.
Ojha alleged that although Modi sanctioned the amount for treatment of cattle, the money was wasted due to irregularities. He claimed that veterinary doctors from blocks all over the state raised objections to the purchase.
Ojha also charged that large quantities of medicines were supplied to various blocks in the state without the ‘not for sale’ label.
He submitted evidence and instituted cases against director, animal husbandry department Chandra Shekhar Prasad, principal secretary to the department Anil Kumar and purchaser in-charge Jai Narayan Singh, besides animal husbandry officers of nine districts of north Bihar and four medicine companies.
Earlier, Modi’s archrival Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo and then Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was accused of having a role in the Rs 950-crore fodder scam and had to resign.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Modi’s archrival Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo and then Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was accused of having a role in the Rs 950-crore fodder scam and had to resign.
{{/usCountry}}Several state government administrative and elected officials got involved in the alleged fabrication of “vast herds of fictitious livestock” for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry was supposedly procured.