Former Patna District Magistrate and former Time magazine 'Asian Hero' Gautam Goswami, a key accused in the Rs 17.5 crore Bihar flood relief scam of 2004, is battling for life in a hospital in Lucknow.

Though he claims he is innocent and not involved, he has sought pardon from the people for breach of trust, if any.

Goswami is suffering from acute jaundice for over a month. Ashok Upadhyay, Goswami father-in-law, said.he contracted the infection during his stay in jail,

"Goswami's liver has been damaged badly due to acute jaundice. Physicians treating him said there was no assurance of a recovery," he said

Goswami was admitted at the Lucknow-based Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute on January 17 after his condition deteriorated in Patna.

Upadhyay said that Goswami requested him to seek pardon on his behalf from the judiciary, the executive and the public.

He said that time and again that Goswami claimed he is innocent and not involved in the scam. Goswami was named Time magazine's Asian Hero for his 'exemplary work' in flood relief.

He is an accused in the case relating to the alleged swindling of funds meant for providing relief to flood-hit people of north Bihar in 2004. An inquiry into the matter by the state vigilance bureau was ordered when President's Rule was in force in the state in 2005.

A first information report was filed against Goswami and 27 others in the case on May 28, 2005. Later, all the accused and scam kingpin Santosh Jha, a relief material supplier, surrendered and were sent to jail.