Rana'S Remand Extended By 14 Days

The orders extending the judicial remand of Rana, who was arrested by the CBI on September 12, were issued by special CBI judge S K Lal. Former regional director of Bihar animal husbandry department S B Sinha was granted bail by the CBI trial court in connection with a case in which he had been earlier remanded to judicial custody.

However, the court has already ordered S B Sinha to judicial remand in connection with another case in which he has been charged with withdrawing more than Rs 182 crore from the Chaibasa district treasury.

The special CBI court granted bail to another accused in the scam B D Narayan Sinha, a veterinary doctor posted in Dumka. Sinha was arrested by the CBI in connection with the scam on February 3.

 

Meanwhile, the CBI sources claimed to have come across some vital information on the basis of which they are planning to interrogate the former animal husbandry minister in a couple of days.

Income tax department sources yesterday confirmed the recovery of gold ornaments and several land purchase deeds from the lockers during the raids conducted by the department officials at the Lockers India, a private company in Patna.

CBI sources yesterday indicated that the agency will not arrest Congress legislator Rajo Singh if he cooperated in the investigation. The CBI had raided his residence and office on September 24.

Our Bureau adds from New Delhi:

After the Patna High Court pulled up the CBI for its tardy progress in the case, the income tax department and the CBI have stepped up their activities. In the last two weeks, there have been a series of raids at the residences and offices of a number of persons connected with the animal husbandry department, including a former Ranchi deputy commissioner and others.

However, Jagdish Sharma, the former chairman of the public accounts committee of the Bihar government, continues to elude the CBI dragnet. He is said to have played the pivotal role in ensuring that the massive irregularities were swept under the carpet.