Govt Considering According Sanction To Prosecute Verma

The government is considering the question of according sanction for prosecuting Union minister of state for rural areas and employment Chandradeo Prasad Verma in the Rs 950-crore fodder scam.

Official sources said yesterday that the question of according sanction by the President for prosecuting Verma under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) 1988 is under examination by the ministry of home affairs.

The CBI had earlier requested the President under Section 19 (1) (a) of the PCA for prosecution of Verma for allegedly having committed offences while functioning as the minister of animal husbandry department in Bihar punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code under PCA.

The legal opinion available with the government indicates that sanction of the President for launching prosecution under IPC would not be required as at the time when offences were allegedly committed, Verma was a public servant functioning as a minister in Bihar and the competent authority for according the sanction would be the Governor of Bihar, the sources said.