Bihar Vigilance Bureau on Monday moved the court of Special Vigilance Judge J M Prasad to obtain warrants of arrest against former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, owner of a fake firm Santosh Kumar Jha and others in connection with the multi-crore flood-relief scam.
Additional Director General of Vigilance Bureau Neelmani told PTI that "we have approached the court for issuance of warrants of arrest against the accused who are at large."
Neelmani, however, said that since they had sufficient evidence against all the accused and the first information report has been registered under non-bailable sections of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, "we can take into custody any of the evading accused even without warrants of arrest."
In a bid to build up pressure on the accused, including Goswami, to surrender on their own before the court or the vigilance sleuths, he said the state vigilance bureau had announced reward for information leading to arrest of Goswami and alleged scam kingpin Santosh Jha.
"We will suitably reward the person providing information about whereabouts of Goswami and Jha. The name of the informer will be kept secret," he said adding "we are seeking public help to conveniently trace them."
The vigilance bureau had registered an FIR against Goswami and 25 others, including an additional district magistrate-rank official and a bank manager, in the scam that took place last year.