Patna: The Vigilance Bureau will now oversee corruption cases registered across various districts of Bihar, in addition to those handled by vigilance police stations. The Vigilance Department has sought a district-wise list of all cases filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
In a recent review meeting, Additional Chief Secretary of the department, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, directed officials to ensure proper monitoring of all registered corruption cases at the level of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau. He emphasized that necessary orders from the Chief Secretary should be obtained to inform all concerned authorities about this monitoring initiative.
During the meeting, officials stressed the importance of securing convictions in cases handled by the Vigilance Investigation Bureau and the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU). Chaudhary directed the prosecution branches to remain active and conduct continuous follow-ups to ensure swift legal proceedings.
A proposal was also discussed regarding the appointment of a fixed bench to expedite hearings for confiscating the properties of corrupt officials. Chaudhary assured that a formal request would be made to the Patna High Court’s Registrar for the same.
He further instructed special public prosecutors to push for verdicts by March 2025 in cases where the debate process has already been completed.
Several special public prosecutors raised concerns that their workload from other legal cases was affecting vigilance-related matters. In response, Chaudhary directed them to communicate their concerns in writing to the respective District Magistrates.
During the meeting, ADG Pankaj Darad of the Special Surveillance Unit pointed out that, of the 25 cases registered with the unit since 2009, not a single one had reached a verdict. Meanwhile, DG of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, set a target to expedite as many pending cases as possible by March 31, 2025.
