Sushil Kumar Modi at the news meet in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Oct. 5: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today demanded that Jharkhand High Court monitor cases pertaining to a PIL filed by one Mithilesh Singh alleging that chief minister Nitish Kumar was a beneficiary of the fodder scam.

Singh also alleged that the CBI chose not to pursue the matter and Dal leader Shivanand Tiwary, too, was involved in the multi-crore corruption case.

Based on social activist Singh’s PIL, Jharkhand High Court last month directed the CBI to file an affidavit, explaining why Nitish and his aide Tiwari had not been made accused in Rs 950-crore fodder scam case.

Nitish’s friend-turned-foe Modi also circulated documents consisting of confession reports made by the kingpin of the scam, Shyam Bihari Sinha, and vigilance officer Umesh Prasad Singh, where they admitted to having paid money to Nitish and Tiwary.

Based on the confession report of Sinha and Umesh, which took five years for Singh to obtain from CBI, the single bench of Justice R.R. Prasad of Jharkhand High Court directed the CBI to file an affidavit. The hearing of the PIL is on November 22.

Reading the extracts of the documents, Modi said: “The fodder scam kingpin, Shyam Bihari Sinha, in his confession report under Section 161 of the CrPC, had confessed to paying Rs 1 crore to Nitish Kumar in 1995 through one Vijay Mallick for the election expenses of Samata Party (Nitish’s erstwhile party). Nitish had also confirmed to Umesh Prasad Singh, a vigilance employee, of having received the money.”

“Sinha also confessed to having paid Rs 30-35 lakh to Tiwary through one Tripurari Mohan Prasad at a New Delhi hotel though Tiwary had demanded Rs 50 lakh from him,” added Modi.

The BJP leader also stated that Singh, under Section 164 of CrPC, had confessed of having paid Rs 4 lakh to Tiwary on the instructions of Sinha. Modi, however, said: “I am not confident of the CBI taking action against Nitish and Tiwary, as the Congress will go to any extent to protect Nitish.”

JD(U) leader Tiwary said: “The matter is sub-judice. I am waiting for the judgment. This is not the first time that such an allegation has been levelled.”

Singh had sought the report under the Right to Information Act from the CBI. Earlier, Singh had appealed to Jharkhand High Court, which was turned down. He then approached the Supreme Court pleading that the CBI had “let off” Nitish and Tiwary in the fodder scam. The apex court then asked the high court to look into it again.

RJD general secretary Ram Kripal Yadav said: “We are waiting for the November 22 hearing as to what Jharkhand High Court would pronounce.”