Flood scam kingpin's girl friend surrenders after two years

Nidhi Jha, a close associate and so-called girl friend of Santosh Kumar Jha (the linchpin of the notorious multi-crore flood scam) surrendered before the special vigilance court on Tuesday after dodging the police nearly two years when the court issued arrest warrant against her. All other accused except Nidhi had been arrested but Nidhi could manage to escape from going under custody.

According to vigilance source that claims to make continuous raids on surrenderer’s house and all the possible places where she could be hide, forced her to do surrender before the court. Earlier the trial court had issued the arrest warrant along with attaching her property if she did not capitulate herself.

Police has also claimed to book her Canara Bank Account in which the accused have deposited the reported scam money of Rs1.98 crore which was transacted by her name and the cheques were signed by her, as police alleged.

The police had filed a case (case no. 08/2005) making her accused of involving the Rs.17.8 crore flood scam in vigilance police station in 2005. The case earthed when police found the then District Magistrate of Patna Gautam Goswami in financial irregularities. The case against him was lodged on May 28, 2005 along with 27 others accused. Most of them had been arrested soon, but Nidhi Jha, a Madhubani resident and partner of Santosh Jha be able to escape and went underground since 2005. She was projected as ‘glamour girl’ of the scam.

However, later that year Time magazine had nominated Gautam Goswami as Asian Hero of the year for his excellent service, which makes his position strong against the charges. The case is yet under trial and due to Nidhi’s evading, it was highly influencing as police said.

CBI prosecutor Ajit Kumar Singh has appealed the court not to grant bail to Nidhi and sent her in the Jail. The judge of special vigilance court has accepted the appeal of the government counsel and rejected the bail of Nidhi. She has been sent to Beur jail till February 07, the next date of hearing.

Besides Nidhi, other top accused include Santosh Jha, the supplier of flood scam material and Sadhu Yadav, the brother–in-law of current Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and brother of former Chief Minister of Bihar Rabri Yadav are now on bail.

Santosh Yadav has got the tender of worth Rs. 17.8 crore issued by Sadhu Yadav, then cabinet minister of the state for supplying relief package and materials to flood victims of Bihar who were distressed from the horrid flood in 2004, but in spite of using this package, the kingpin had ate a large potion of money by involving and making partners to top administrators of the state and districts.

He deposited nearby Rs. 2 crore in Nidhi’s account by her name from which they have invested in several places including purchasing two houses and flats in Jamuna apartment and Ashiana Nagar.