Govt nod to try ex-Saharsa DM

PATNA: Bihar government has given its sanction to prosecute a serving senior IAS officer RL Chongthu, currently the principal secretary to the Governor, in a 2004 case involving issue of arms licences in Saharsa where he was then posted as district magistrate, officials familiar with the matter said.

There were allegations that ineligible persons and those having submitted fake identity papers and addresses also got arms licences.

According to officials, during Chongthu’s tenure as Saharsa DM, arms licences were issued to 229 people. Later, when irregularities were detected, 14 of them were cancelled. It was found during investigation under the then superintendent of police (SP) Arvind Pandey that many applicants had furnished wrong personal information.

In 2005, a case was lodged with Sadar police station by the then station house officer Anil Kumar Yadvendu against seven persons who allegedly forged documents to get arms licences.

Later, Chongthu, a 1997batch IAS officer, was also made an accused after investigations pointed to disregard of rules and gross negligence in issue of arms licences.

The first charge-sheet in the case, against one of the accused, was submitted in July 2005 itself, while the second charge-sheet against 14 people was submitted in April 2016.

In 2005, Chongthu was acquitted of the charges, but the investigation was again started after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sought and obtained fresh permission from the court in 2009.

“After the prosecution sanction from the government, the investigation has proceeded further,” said subdivisional police officer (Saharsa Sadar) Santosh Kumar.