NEW DELHI, May 27: In A significant development, President Shanker Dayal Sharma has turned down a CBI request for prosecuting Union Minister of State for Rural Areas and Employment C P Verma, allegedly involved in the multi-crore Bihar fodder scam.The Governor of Bihar would be the competent authority for according sanction in this case, since at the time when offence was committed, Verma was a public servant functioning as a minister in the government of Bihar, according to legal opinion available with the Centre.It may be recalled that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had requested for the President's sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for Verma's prosecution. This was for offences allegedly committed, when he was a cabinet minister for Animal Husbandary in the government of Bihar.The question of according President's sanction for prosecution under relevant provisions of PCA, 1988 is separately being examined in the Ministry of Home Affairs.Meanwhile, in Patna, chairman of the privileges committee of the Bihar Legislative Council, Tarakant Jha, today said that the issuance of notices of breach of privilege against CBI officials probing the fodder scam did not stem from any ``ill-will or bias'' against the premier investigative agency.The committee had on May 21 issued notices against five CBI officials including its Joint Director (East), UN Biswas, DIG Ranjit Sinha, two SPs, Javed Ahmed and VSK Kaumudi, and SK Dev, Dy SP, asking them why breach of privilege proceedings not be initiated against them for ``misrepresentation of facts'' before the Patna High Court.Talking to newsmen after a meeting of the committee, Jha said that he had received replies from CBI officials on Monday, and added that another meeting of the committee would be held on May 31 to take a final decision on the privilege issue.
