JD-U will act against its MP for fraud: Nitish Kumar

Patna, April 18 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United national president Nitish Kumar said here on Monday the party will take action against its Rajya Sabha member Anil Sahani over alleged fraud in leave travel concession if his reply was found unsatisfactory.

Nitish Kumar also said the Rajya Sabha may take action against Sahani.

"JD-U will take action against Sahani if his reply is not satisfactory," Nitish Kumar said during a press meet here. "It is a matter of conduct of a MP. Rajya Sabha may take action against Sahani."

The party on last Saturday issued a show cause notice to Sahani and sought his explanation within a week.

The JD-U advised Sahani to resign on moral ground and face the court as Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari has given the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sanction to prosecute him for alleged fraud in claims against leave travel concession.

Sahani, however, has denied any wrongdoing and warned he would file a defamation case.

The scam relates to reimbursements being claimed against fake boarding passes and bills from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

It has been revealed that Sahani and three other accused allegedly used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes to defraud the Rajya Sabha of Rs.23.71 lakh.

This is the first time a Rajya Sabha chairman has given such a clearance, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat sources said.

The CBI had filed a charge sheet in the case last year, and with the clearance from Rajya Sabha chairman Ansari, the agency will now proceed with "further action", which is likely to be the arrest of the MP.

Members of parliament or assemblies cannot be arrested without prior permission of the speaker of the Lok Sabha or the assembly or Rajya Sabha or legislative council chairman.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar twice sanctioned arrests, first in 2010 against Congress MP Rajaram Pal in the cash-for-query scam, and second time against BJP MP Ashok Argal in the cash-for-vote.

IANS