The Bihar Vigilance Bureau today wrapped up its probe into the multi-crore flood relief scam, exposed by The Indian Express, and filed char-gesheets against RJD MP Sadhu Yadav and eight others. The agency even sought an arrest warrant against Sadhu, brother-in-law of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, naming him as a secondary accused and a beneficiary of the flood relief money that was siphoned off.

Vigilance Additional Director General Neelmani said that the probe was over and his department would now work for speedy trial of the cases. But he made it clear that despite the probe closure report, further investigations, if warranted by new leads and evidences, would be undertaken during the trial stage.

According to the Vigilance Bureau, a sum of Rs 6 lakh was transferred from main accused Santosh Jha’s bank account to Sadhu’s account. The MP claimed the money was payment for a car he had sold to Santosh’s father. On verification, the Bureau found that “Sadhu had purchased a car for Rs 1 lakh but in less than a year had sold it for Rs 6 lakh”.

“The price of a second hand car depreciates but here it appreciated six times. This was unconvincing,” Neelmani said.

He said the Bureau found “other corroborative evidences” to prove that the MP received “kickbacks”.

The Bureau sought an arrest warrant against Sadhu who had earlier secured anticipatory bail from the Patna High Court. The High Court, while granting bail on February 8, had directed the Bureau to file a chargesheet in the case within two months. “We have done our job and filed the chargesheet in the vigilance court. Now it is up to the trial court to issue an arrest warrant or summon the MP,” Neelmani said.

... contd.