Nitish Kumar to face CBI probe on graft complaint

PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and 46 others will face a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe that was ordered by the Patna High Court Thursday into alleged financial irregularities involving Rs.11,412 crore.

After hearing a public suit on the issue, a division bench of Chief Justice R.M. Doshit and Justice S.K. Katariyar handed over the probe to the CBI .

A court official told IANS that the bench observed that it was necessary to hand over the probe to the CBI as the accused in the case are the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and 45 others including ministers and top officials.

Petitioner Arvind Kumar pointed to financial irregularities in the development funds during 2002-2008 in Bihar.

He said that the report of the Accountant General (AG) of Bihar formed the basis of his complaint. In the report, the AG mentioned the financial irregularities in various funds meant for the development in the state during the said period.

The AG, in his report, had mentioned that the detailed bills to the tune of Rs.1,100 crore were not available and the state government could not provide the same to the AG for calculation and assessment.

The court has fixed July 26 as next hearing date in the case.

Earlier this week, a complaint was filed by Arwal district-based social activist Mohan Kumar in the special vigilance court of Patna, in which Nitish Kumar, Modi and 45 others have been accused of financial irregularities involving Rs.11,412 crore.

That court has fixed July 29 as the next date of hearing in the case.