Patna, Nov 27: Surrender and save your property — the message is clear for Gopalganj MP Sadhu Yadav.

A vigilance court has ordered attachment of the RJD politician’s properties in a case of forgery, an offshoot of the flood relief scam.

“We will not rush in to execute the warrant against him in the hope that the MP, being a responsible people’s representative, will surrender in the court of law,” additional director-general (vigilance) Neelmani told The Telegraph, suggesting a “brief breather” to Sadhu.

The court issued the property attachment order against railway minister Lalu Prasad’s brother-in-law on Saturday evening after the Supreme Court allowed the vigilance bureau to go ahead with prosecution of the MP.

The case relates to the transfer of money to Sadhu’s account from that of Santosh Jha, an accused in the flood relief scam, through the sale of a vehicle.

Sadhu’s mother Maharajiya Devi, coming to the aid of the MP, today filed a petition in the special vigilance court seeking a stay on its order to attach his son’s property.

The petition was filed in the court of acting vigilance judge Munilal Paswan by Narayan Rai, the counsel of Maharajiya Devi, who claimed that the said properties in Patna, Gopalganj and Delhi were not owned by Sadhu and hence could not be attached.

Sadhu’s mother claimed in the petition that she owned the Patna residence while the family jointly held the property in Gopalganj. The third property, in Delhi, is an official residence which Sadhu is entitled to as an MP.

The petitioner handed over documents to support the woman’s claims.

The judge said the matter would come up for hearing after the vigilance bureau submitted its report but fixed no date for the same.

The ball is now entirely in Sadhu’s court, said sources. “We don’t wish to give the impression that we are after an honourable people’s representative. But we will have no option but to execute the warrant if the accused MP does not surrender in court within a reasonable timeframe,” said Neelmani.

The vigilance bureau, meanwhile, today caught an assistant district supply officer of Banka accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 for renewal of the licence of a public distribution system outlet.