Patna, April 13: The state vigilance bureau today filed a confiscation of property case against BJP MLA Sonelal Hembrum and his relatives in the vigilance court.

The BJP had earlier thought of slapping a showcause notice on the former deputy excise commissioner-turned-BJP MLA when the vigilance bureau had lodged the disproportionate assets case against him in February. But the party backtracked after the MLA claimed that he had won the case in both the appeals in the commissioner’s office and the tribunal.

Hembrum represents Katoria reserved seat in Banka district. When he was given a ticket in the 2010 Assembly elections, several eyebrows were raised in the BJP. But Hembrum claimed that the BJP leadership knew about the income tax raid in 1997 and it was mentioned in his affidavit.

The confiscation of property case has further embarrassed the BJP in the state. IT raids were conducted in 1997 against a number of officials, including Hembrum. He was then posted as the deputy commissioner of the excise department, known to be close to Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. The raids were aimed at flushing out money allegedly siphoned off in the fodder scam.

Income-tax department personnel had conducted a raid on the residence of Hembrum on November 27, 1997. During investigation, IT officials detected unaccounted property worth Rs 2.67 crore in Patna and Ranchi. The investments were made in the name of relatives and other dependents. Subsequently, the vigilance bureau initiated an inquiry into Hembrum’s wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. Some benaami (in others’ names) assets were also detected.

After detailed inquiry, the bureau registered an FIR against Hembrum and his relatives on September 20, 2000. During the investigation, the bureau officials stumbled upon documents of several plots of land owned by his relatives in Ranchi. Special vigilance court judge Ramesh Chandra has fixed April 17 as the next date of hearing.

So far, 17 confiscation cases have been filed in the special vigilance court in Patna under Bihar Special Courts Act 2009. Of them, five confiscation cases have been disposed of. Disproportionate assets of suspended IAS officer S.S. Verma and Patna treasury assistant Girish Kumar have already been confiscated.