Top Bihar bureaucrats on CBI radar in Srijan scam

Patna, Aug 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to quiz the top officials of various departments in Bihar in connection with the Srijan scam.

Sources said the central investigating agency has recovered some critical documents during raids at the secret hideouts of the main accused, Jayshri Thakur.

Thakur was the then Bhagalpur Deputy Collector (Land Reforms) when the Srijan scam surfaced. The sources said that Thakur's close aide Anish was also involved in the scam, who is absconding now.

Anish had earned money worth crores through the scam with which he purchased a huge property in the adjoining Banka district.

After the recovery of the documents, some prominent names in the state, including some of the state's top bureaucrats, have now appeared on the CBI radar.

On Tuesday, the CBI had registered a fourth FIR in the Srijan scam case wherein it has been alleged that officials of the district welfare office had illegally withdrawn Rs 998.869 crore between 2007 and 2017.

The amount was withdrawn from the Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and the Indian Bank in Bhagalpur. The alleged officials of Bank of Baroda's RP Road branch, Indian Bank's Patal Road branch, Bank of India's Triveni Apartment branch, Srijan Women Development Cooperative Committee (SWDCC) and Bhagalpur District Welfare Association are facing charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery.

Earlier, the CBI had registered three FIRs in the Srijan scam, claiming that the alleged officials had withdrawn Rs 221.60 crore and transferred the amount from the Bhagalpur district welfare office to Srijan accounts. Similarly, another FIR was registered for the withdrawal of an amount of Rs 121.71 crore.

After the third FIR, the Bihar government had recommended the case to the CBI for thorough investigation.

Source: IANS