Nitish Kumar shows way, seizes house of corrupt officer

PATNA/NEW DELHI: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar took a significant step for curbing corruption when it confiscated a three-storyed building at Rukanpura in the state capital and converted it into a school.

The property belonged to SS Verma, a 1981-batch officer belonging to the Bihar cadre. The property was taken over on Sunday by Patna DM Sanjay Kumar.

Verma's house became the first such property to be attached by the state government and transformed into a school, in a message meant to show that the state government will not tolerate corruption.

In an order passed on August 20, the Patna High Court rejected Verma’s petition challenging the vigilance court’s order to confiscate his property.

The High Court upheld the special vigilance court’s order to confiscate the disproportionate assets of Verma, valued at Rs 1.43 crore.

A bench of Justice Dharnidhar Jha dismissed Verma’s petition challenging the vigilance court’s order directing authorities to confiscate assets earned beyond known sources of income of then Minor Irrigation Department Secretary.