Patna, Aug. 27: Suspended IAS officer S.S. Verma’s dream to stay in the house on Bailey Road in Patna was shattered after a vigilance court on Saturday rejected his petition to allow him to live there on rent. The court had earlier ordered confiscation of his property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Special vigilance judge Ramesh Chandra Mishra directed the Patna district magistrate to proceed forthwith in compliance with the court order.

The special court sent the copy of the order to the DM on Saturday.

Special public prosecutor Rajesh Kumar submitted before the court that Verma was drawing Rs 90,000 per month as salary with Rs 13,520 as house rent allowance (HRA).

The special judge said: “I think HRA drawn by the delinquent (Verma) is sufficient to meet the expenses and needs. He can get another flat in Patna and no hardship would be caused to him.”

The court observed that the delinquent (Verma) has not prayed in petition filed before the Patna district magistrate to allow him to reside in the house for a certain period and on this score, it also appears that the delinquent has filed this petition with ulterior motive, which is completely misconceived.

Verma had earlier submitted a petition to the Patna district magistrate on August 21 this year, requesting to allow him to stay in the house on rent. The petition was submitted within two days of the Patna High Court order dismissing stay on confiscation of his property.

Verma’s petition says: “I have no other house in Patna to reside. I may be allowed to stay in the same house. I have been living in the house for the past over 10 years. I am ready to pay the rent fixed by the authority concerned.”

The Patna DM has referred the petition to the vigilance court, which had earlier issued the confiscation order.

During search of Verma’s house at Rukunpura in Patna, the vigilance officials had recovered Rs 16.19 lakh. The vigilance sleuths had also seized 1kg gold bar with Swiss hallmark, 800 guineas and other gold jewellery worth Rs 81 lakh from his bank locker.

The vigilance team had also recovered Rs 2.58 lakh from Verma’s bank locker. Verma has been charged with accumulating property worth Rs 1.44 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.