The CBI has sought remand of 17 persons arrested in connection with the Srijan scam, the illegal transfer of government funds allegedly to the accounts of Bhagalpur-based non-government organisation Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited.

The investigating officer of the case submitted petition to the special CBI court in Patna last week seeking police remand of the accused, who are lodged in Bhagalpur central jail. The investigating officer also sought the transfer of the accused from Bhagalpur to Beur central jail in Patna.

The interrogation of the arrested accused, sources said on Sunday, would land at least five IAS officers in trouble. The officers in question, most of them currently serving with central organisations, had earlier served as district magistrates of Bhagalpur.

Cheques bearing the signatures of former Bhagalpur district magistrates (DMs) had been sent to the forensic science laboratory in Patna for verification. The forensic reports would reveal whether the cheques were issued by then DMs or bore the forged signatures of the officials concerned, an investigating officer said.

The officer on the condition of anonymity said that initial interrogation of the accused persons, especially those posted in the Bhagalpur DM's office, revealed the names of the bank officials and the officials of the district administration who were being obliged by Srijan's founder secretary, the late Manorama Devi.

Last week, the person heading the CBI team investigating the Rs 1,000 crore fund transfer scam had been transferred.

CBI additional superintendent of police (ASP) S.K. Malik, who was chief of the 20-member team probing the scam, has been shifted from Bhagalpur and asked to report to the CBI's headquarters in New Delhi, said highly placed sources in the agency. CBI ASP N. Mahto will replace Malik.

Malik, the sources said, had recently urged the CBI court to issue arrest warrants against some bureaucrats and politicians whose role in the scam was on the CBI's radar.

Mahto, who was posted in Delhi, had been asked to assume charge within two days.

Sources said the switch came soon after Malik submitted a preliminary report to the CBI headquarters. At least five IAS officers who had served as Bhagalpur DM and three politicians with strong connections in the east Bihar district were under the CBI scanner.

Several politicians, bureaucrats and bank officials frequently visited Srijan's office in Bhagalpur to meet the NGO's late founder secretary Manorama Devi, a senior official said today under cover of anonymity. The names of those people figured during the CBI's interrogation of arrested persons, including office bearers of Srijan.

CBI officials last week quizzed clerks and assistants of the land acquisition department, the welfare department, the zila parishad and the district rural development agency for nearly six and a half hours. District treasury accountant Om Prakash Srivastava, land acquisition officer Om Prakash Poddar and zila parishad accountant Sunil Kumar were among those questioned.

The CBI has already sought permission from the court to shift all the 17 arrested accused to Patna's Beur Central Jail as the cases related to the scam would be heard in the special CBI court in the state capital. Earlier, ASP Malik had personally met special CBI judge Gayatri Kumari, who had granted permission to the investigating team to interrogate the accused in the jail.

On Wednesday, there was a theft attempt at the house - in Bhagalpur's New Bikramsheela Colony - of Amit Kumar and his wife Priya Kumar, the son and daughter-in-law of Srijan founder Manorama. Both Priya and Amit, prime accused in the fund transfer scam, are on the run ever since their names figured in swindling of government funds.

Two minor boys were spotted inside the premises of the house on Wednesday, authoritative sources said.

Tilka Manjhi police station house officer (SHO) Sanjay Kumar Biswas said the house, which belongs to Manorama, has been under the CBI's jurisdiction ever since the cases related to the scam were handed over to the central investigating team. 'We are not supposed to enter the building premises without the permission of the CBI officials,' the SHO said.

Another Bhagalpur police officer, who did not want to be named, said: 'We suspect the two boys might have tried to damage the locks of the house but did not succeed.'

A local resident said that the domestic helps have stopped visiting Manorama's house ever since Amit and his wife Priya went into hiding. The CBI has issued a red corner notice against the couple, who are suspected to have sneaked out of India.

So far, 19 FIRs have been lodged and 17 persons have been arrested in connection with the scam that has rocked political circles of the state with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his sons going hammer and tongs over the issue at chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.