CBI registers FIR against Bihar NGO

BIHAR CM NITISH KUMAR HAD RECOMMENDED CBI PROBE INTO THE SCAM AFTER RJD CHIEF LALU PRASAD ACCUSED HIM OF ‘MURDERING DEMOCRACY’ IN STATE

PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered an FIR against Bhagalpur based-NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti in connection with the alleged transfer of funds to accounts of the NGO.

Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti director Manorma Devi, who is nor more, has been named in the FIR along with present and former Bank of Baroda managers at Saharsa and Bhagalpur branches, respectively, as well the then cashier and head assistant of land acquisition office, Saharsa.

The accused have been booked under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation, and criminal breach of trust along with forgery of valuable security for cheating, and using as genuine forged documents under Sections 120-B, 406, 409, 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code.

The CBI began the investigation in the Srijan scam on Thursday.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had on August 18 recommended the CBI to probe into the Srijan scam, after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad accused him of “murdering democracy” in Bihar.

Prasad had also alleged of a “foul play” behind the delay in CBI’s investigation into the Srijan scam, in addition to accusing Kumar of “destroying” all the evidence.

Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi called his predecessor and Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav’s protests in the assembly premises demanding the former’s resignation in connection with the Srijan scam as “shameful.”

The scam worth around ₹1300 crore took place between 2007 and 2013, when Modi was the finance minister though the government says Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti was authorised to transfer funds in 2003 when RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s wife, Rabri Devi, was the chief minister.