Tuesday, June 7 2005 15:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: The Vigilance Investigation Bureau was contemplating legal action against the Sahara group management, the employer of the high-profile former Patna District Magistrate Gautam Goswami, who is evading arrest in the multi-crore flood relief scam.

Bureau's Additional Director General Neelmani told sources today (Jun 7, 2005) that the Vigilance department had sought legal advice to initiate criminal proceedings against Sahara India management for allegedly not cooperating with its sleuths already camping in Lucknow for arresting Goswami.

The Sahara management is not at all providing any information about Goswami to our boys on job in Lucknow, Neelmani said.

Goswami has recently joined the Sahara group, as its vice president after submitting his resignation from the Government service.

The State Government has not yet accepted his resignation and issued a notice to Goswami asking him to explain why action should not be taken against him for joining a private company though his resignation has not been accepted.

The bureau's fresh move is seen as an attempt to build up pressure on Goswami to surrender. The bureau has already announced a reward of over Rs one lakh to any person providing information leading to Goswami's arrest.

The designated Vigilance judge Jitendra Mohan Prasad had yesterday (Jun 6, 2005) rejected the anticipatory bail application of Goswami in connection with the scam. Goswami is likely to challenge the Vigilance court's order in Patna High Court soon.

The Bureau had on May 28 registered an FIR against 28 persons, including Goswami in connection with the embezzlement of the funds worth over Rs 17 crore meant for carrying out relief for the flood-hit poor during 2004 floods.

Six of the accused in the scam, including its alleged kingpin and supplier Santosh Kumar Jha are already in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, expressing displeasure over the vigilance probe, various political parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal-United (JDU) and Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) have reacted sharply saying that the ongoing inquiry by the State Vigilance Bureau is mere eyewash and an attempt to save heavyweights. They called for a CBI probe to unmask the real culprits.