CBI set to book more politicians in Srijan scam

New Delhi: The CBI probing the multi-crore Srijan scam in Bihar is all set to file a fresh supplementary chargesheet naming certain state level politicians as accused in the case.

The CBI recently chargesheeted a senior district official, former deputy development commissioner and 13 others, mostly bank officials in the Srijan scam.

“Now the agency is probing the role of state level politicians in the scam. The CBI will soon file supplementary chargesheet against the local politicians as part of its investigation into the multi-crore scam”, sources said.

A former deputy development commissioner posted in Bhagalpur in 2013 was chargesheeted by the agency in the month of March for his alleged involvement in fraudulent transfer of over Rs 90 crore from the accounts of Mukhyamantri Gramudyog Yojana and grants from the 13th and 14th finance commission for backward region development in Bank of India and Indian bank to the account of Srijan Mahila Vikash Samity.

The CBI has already booked several bureaucrats of the state government in connection with the case. Sources said, “Investigations by the CBI into the Srijan scam have revealed that entries in certain bank accounts of the accused NGO — Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti (SMVSS) — were made even after they (accounts) were closed. There are allegations that local politicians played crucial role in making illegal entries in the bank accounts of the accused NGO”. Besides, the agency is also probing the role of senior officials of certain nationalised banks in this regard, sources said adding that the CBI may soon register fresh cases against them as part of its investigation into the scam.

Sources said, “Investigators have found that entries pertaining to dubious transactions were made after closure of the account of the NGO in Bihpur block of Bhagalpur district. The agency, which has so far registered around 25 FIRs in the Srijan scam, is preparing to register more cases”.

The CBI is probing the scam in which government funds worth about Rs 1,000 crore were allegedly diverted to the accounts of a non-government organisation.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on August 18, 2018 recommended the CBI to probe into the Srijan scam, after RJD chief Lalu Prasad accused him of “murdering democracy” in Bihar. Sources said, “Srijan is accused of embezzling crores of money from different accounts of district administration with the alleged connivance of government officials and bank staff on the pretext of several welfare schemes”.