The Bihar state vigilance department probing the multi-crore flood relief scam has announced a cash reward on the heads of two absconding accused for information leading to their arrest.
The investigation bureau of the vigilance department announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 on the heads of two absconding accused in the scam, including a computer operator in the Patna district office.
The vigilance department had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on the head of former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, a key accused in the flood relief scam, who along with two of the accused, was evading arrest.
"We will give a cash award of Rs 25,000 each to anyone who will give information about the two absconding accused and Rs 1 lakh for information about Goswami," said Neelmani, the additional director general of the vigilance department.
Neelmani also said that posters showing photographs of Goswami and the other accused were pasted at public places in Patna.
The court ordered Goswami and the other accused in the relief scam case to surrender before it within a month or face attachment of property.
Neelmani said that property attachment request under Section 82 of the Crmininal Procedure Code was received from the vigilance court on Saturday against four accused, including Goswami.
The vigilance department is also ascertaining the address, Dak Bunglow, DD Road, Hajipur, as mentioned in the passport of Gautam Goswami. Prima facie this appears to be fake, the sources told rediff.com.
Goswami has been evading arrest ever since a non-bailable warrant was issued against him for his alleged role in the flood scam.
Governor Buta Singh last week said the state government had started the process for Goswami's dismissal despite the fact that Goswami had withdrawn his resignation from the Indian Administrative Service.
Last week, Goswami's service was terminated by the Sahara Group, which he had joined as a senior vice-president after resigning from the IAS earlier this year.
Goswami moved the Patna high court for anticipatory bail on June 13, challenging the vigilance court's order denying him bail.
Vigilance court judge Jitendra Mohan Prasad had on June 6 turned down Goswami's anticipatory bail application.
The judge had on May 31 issued non-bailable warrants against Goswami and eight others, including Santosh Jha, the alleged kingpin