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Journalism of Courage
The Bihar Police on Sunday confiscated the Patna house of suspended IAS officer S S Verma,making him the first officer to face such action under the Bihar Special Courts Act,2009. The Act allows government to confiscate property of an accused in a corruption case during trial.
While special Vigilance courts have ordered confiscation of property in three cases since last December,Verma is the first to have his property seized,having lost an appeal against it in the Patna High Court on August 19.
Former minor irrigation secretary,Verma faces a case of disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 1.44 crore along with eight other relatives.
Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said that as per rules,they had pasted a notice regarding the confiscation outside his three-storey Rukunpura house. With the deadline to hand over the premises ending on Saturday,the police broke open the locks on the house where the Vermas no longer stay.
As announced by CM Nitish Kumar,the Bihar government will open a school in the building.
Sixteen more cases regarding confiscation of property are before Vigilance courts.
Process would next be initiated to confiscate four land plots belonging to Verma,a 1987-batch Bihar-cadre officer,and the properties of his relatives who are co-accused.
