Ex-govt official asked to surrender ill-gotten assets

Patna: A vigilance court on Saturday directed former Rajbhasha Director DN Chaudhary to surrender Rs 4.20 crore, accumulated as ill-gotten assets in Bihar's Patna and Muzaffarpur districts, within 30 days of receipt of its order.

Designated vigilance judge Ramesh Chandra Mishra passed the order holding that Chaudhary had Rs 4.20 crore in assets beyond his known sources of income and directed him to surrender them to the district administration in Patna and Muzaffarpur districts.

The vigilance court passed the order on an application filed by the prosecution under Section 13 of the Bihar Special Court Act, dated December 2, 2010, in which confiscation of the assets amassed by Chaudhary and his family members was sought.

vigilance court passed the order holding that Chaudhary had Rs 4.20 crore in assets beyond his known sources of income.

Earlier in 2008, the vigilance had lodged a Rs 57.83 lakh disproportionate assets case against Chaudhary, his wife Kaushalya Devi and four other family members under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act among others during Chaudhary's service between January 1, 1982 and April 27, 2008.

With investigators unearthing details of buildings, land, cash in lockers and investment in other instruments at several places in Bihar, it was found that the value of assets and properties was considerably higher.

Trial in the DA case is going on separately in the vigilance court.

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