HC gives relief to Nitish in fund scam

Our correspondent

PATNA: In a major relief to the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar, Patna High Court on Friday stayed a CBI probe into alleged financial irregularities involving Rs 11,412 crore. A  division Bench of Patna High Court comprising Chief Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit and Justice S K Katriar on  reserved its order on the Interlocutory Application (IA) of the state government that has sought a stay on the court’s earlier order favouring a CBI probe into misappropriation of fund for which expenditure details were not submitted to the Accountant General (AG), Bihar.

The Bench kept in abeyance parts of its earlier order whereby it was to consider a CBI investigation into the matter. The court also kept in abeyance its order directing the CBI’s director and joint director to present themselves before the court on July 26.

The fund was withdrawn by state officials for executing various schemes between fiscal 2002-2003 and 2007-08.

Earlier the Bench had passed order on a PIL which alleged financial irregularities on the basis of a CAG report, which pointed out the growing trend of not furnishing Detailed Contingent Bills (DCB) for the money withdrawn by the state officials against Abstract Contingent Bills (ACB).

Advocate General P K Shahi and Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore pleaded before the Bench that there was no case for the court to take the prima facie impression that the amount for which the DCB were not sent to the AG-Bihar, had been plundered.