Srijan scam: Nitish Kumar on sticky wicket

New Delhi: JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who walked out of the ‘Grand Alliance’ to join the NDA could be in trouble as the CBI on Saturday took over the probe into the multicrore Srijan scam in Bihar, in which government funds worth about Rs 1,000 crore were allegedly diverted to the accounts of a non-governmental organisation.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been on the offensive against Mr Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi over the Srijan scam. The CBI registered 10 FIRs to probe the scam. Earlier, the scam was being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar police.

The RJD chief had also released photographs of the BJP minister Giriraj Singh, Shahnawaz Hussain, Sushil Kumar Modi and Godda MP Nishikant Dubey with the prime accused and NGO founder Manorama Devi. The Bhagalpur based-NGO — Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti — was allegedly diverting the funds being received from the government for other private projects. Incidentally, Ms Devi died early this year. Over and above Ms Devi, the CBI has also named the former and present managers of the Bank of Baroda’s Saharsa and Bhagalpur branches. Cashiers of both these branches have also been named by the CBI. The NGO has been accused of embezzling crores of rupees from different accounts of the district administration with the alleged connivance of government officials and bank staff on the pretext of several welfare schemes. The Bihar Police has issued a lookout notice Ms Devi’s son Amit Kumar, daughter and the secretary of the NGO Priya Kumar and her husband.

The RJD chief, who himself was being investigated by the CBI and other central agencies has been targeting the Nitish government and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi over the Srijan scam. The Bihar chief minister, who had snapped ties with the RJD and Congress, to cross over the saffron camp will now have to remain somewhat cautious, sources said. It may be recalled that Lalu Yadav had earlier dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against Sushil Modi as he was the finance minister of Bihar during the time when the money from the government exchequer was being embezzled by the NGO.

Preliminary investigation by the Economic Offences Wing of the Bihar police revealed the involvement of nationalised banks, government officials and employees in the fraudulent withdrawal of government funds in three districts of Bhagalpur, Banka and Saharsa. So far 18 persons have been arrested by the Bihar police.