Jharkhand Police Chief V.D. Ram was on Tuesday removed and replaced by Niaz Ahmed who has been overseeing the disproportionate assets case against several former ministers, including ex-chief minister Madhu Koda.
Official sources said Mr. Ram will now be DG (Home Guard and Fire Brigade Services).
Mr. Ram’s replacement assumes significance in the background of the High Court asking him on December 7 to file a counter-affidavit in connection with withdrawal of funds from the Secret Service Fund (SSF).
A PIL was filed against Mr. Ram in the wake of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s letter to the Chief Secretary on June 2, 2009 that the DGP allegedly did not follow the Special Branch Manual and the Bihar Financial Rules by not submitting requisite documents after withdrawing Rs 5.6 crore from the SSF on March 16, 2006.
Mr. Ahmed has been the head of Home Guard, Fire Brigade and the Vigilance Bureau. Apart from holding the post of DGP, he will retain charge of the Vigilance Bureau, the sources said. He has been overseeing the DA case against Mr. Koda in his capacity as Vigilance chief.
Besides Mr. Koda, three of his former cabinet colleagues — Enos Ekka, Harinarayan Rai and Kamlesh Singh are now in judicial custody in connection with DA cases.
