Bhagalpur, March 31: The district administration has speeded up investigation against mayor Dipak Kumar Bhubania.

As reported by The Telegraph in its March 30 edition, Bhubania contested the municipal polls in 2012 by allegedly hiding in his declaration papers that he was declared a fugitive in the court of law.

Evidence collected by RTI activist-cum-lawyer Dinesh Kumar Singh had suggested that 22 years ago, sub-divisional judicial magistrate GNP Azad had convicted Bhubania in a case, the documents of which went missing mysteriously thereafter. A permanent (red) warrant in his name is waiting execution till this day.

The civil court and the police here have started searching for documents on a war footing after RTI activist Singh handed over a memorandum regarding the case to Chief Justice L. Narsimha Reddy of Patna High Court at Kahalgaon on Monday.

Bhubania claimed innocence on Tuesday, saying that the case was old and his lawyers did not provide him any information on its development. But he remained tight-lipped when asked as how court records mention that he had managed to escape from the court dock in 1993 after the court sentenced him to a month's imprisonment in a case.

"I don't have any idea about the case. So I did not mention it in my declaration form while contesting the civic polls in 2012. I will discuss the matter with my lawyers," Bhubania told reporters on Tuesday on way to Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation in his official car accompanied by a government bodyguard.

District panchyati raj officer Mohammad Sahadat Hussain said: "Actions can be initiated again Bhubania only if any complaint is lodged against him before the state election commission for suppressing facts." RTI activist Singh said he would approach the state election commission soon.

Senior lawyer Anand Mohon Jha referred to the verdict of the Supreme Court division bench in a civil original jurisdiction writ petition (civil) No 121/2008 in Resurgence India Vs Election Commission of India case, where a person found to be hiding facts or giving false information during filling of nomination for the polls would face six months' imprisonment or fine or both.

"So Bhubania would have to face such punishment for hiding facts in the case if proven guilty," said Jha.

Senior superintendent of police Vivek Kumar said the warrant is being searched at Kotwari police station and efforts are on to locate the then station house officer.