CBI to adopt Bihar law to seize homes of corrupt

PATNA — Impressed with confiscation of the ill-gotten property of corrupt officials in Bihar under a special law to fight corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) is set to adopt legislation soon, officials said yesterday.

The CBI is studying the Bihar government’s Special Courts Act, 2009 that enables it to confiscate the properties of corrupt officials with ease and in a short period.

“The CBI has approached the state government to understand the useful clauses of the act that give power to confiscate (accused’s) property before conviction,” said Bihar Additional Director General (Vigilance) P K Thakur.

Thakur said that Bihar’s success in confiscating the ill-gotten property of corrupt officials was lauded by CBI officials, who contacted the state government with a view to adopting the special law.

The Special Courts Act, 2009 allows the confiscation of property of public servants, including bureaucrats, legislators and MPS, while they face trial for corruption charges.

“The CBI is keen to adopt Bihar’s model to confiscate ill-gotten property of corrupt officials, as it is easy and effective,” Thakur said here.

According to CBI officials here, the existing procedure to deal with the attachment of ill-gotten property while the investigations were on, was very lengthy and not easy. — IANS