Patna, Sep 8: A confiscated palatial house of an IAS officer, suspended for taking graft, became a full-fledged primary school today.
Shiv Shankar Verma's property at upscale Bailey Road here was confiscated by Bihar government on September 4 and the cabinet had on September 6 decided to hand over the building to the state human resources department as part of inter-department transfer.
Verma, a former minor irrigation secretary, is the first official to feel the heat of Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009 and faces a Rs 1.44 crore disproportionate assets case along with eight other relatives.
Sleuths of Special Vigilance Unit had raided Verma's houses on July 6, 2007 and found movable and immovable properties estimated at Rs 1.43 crore, which were disproportionate to his known sources in income.
The three-storey house was confiscated following orders of Patna High Court which had on August 19 upheld the directive of Special Vigilance Court in a case charging Verma with amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.
Bihar Special Courts Act came into force last year after presidential assent and allows the government to confiscate property of an accused in a corruption case during trial.
The primary school of Rukanpura Mushari which was earlier running in slums was shifted to the confiscated property, Patna district education officer Medho Das said. Most of the school's students are dalits, he added.
During the raid on Verma's house the Vigilance sleuths also seized 9 kg gold bar with Swiss hallmark, 800 guineas, Rs 16.50 lakh in cash, USD 1600, jewellery valued at over Rs 81 lakh, investments in share market amounting to Rs 20 lakh and papers pertaining to investments in immovable properties at four places, official sources said.
The Special Vigilance court has also ordered confiscation of properties of an employee of Patna collectorate and a former motor vehicles inspector posted at Aurangabad.
Sixteen more cases on confiscation of property are before Vigilance courts, the sources said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had during his electioneering for the assembly polls last year had promised that the properties of corrupt officials would be confiscated for opening much-needed schools in Bihar. PTI
