By IANS,
Ranchi : The Jharkhand vigilance department Wednesday filed a criminal complaint against former state agriculture minister Nalin Soren and former director Nistar Minz for allegedly siphoning off Rs.41.6 crore (Rs.416 million) meant for farmers’ welfare, an official said.
“An FIR (first information report) has been lodged against Nalin Soren and Nistar Minz in the vigilance police station. An officer will investigate the case and take action after ascertaining the facts,” D.K. Pandey, deputy inspector general of police in the vigilance department, told IANS.
A special court Tuesday had directed the vigilance department to lodge the FIR while hearing a petition filed by Vineet Kashyap charging both of them corruption in farmers’ welfare schemes.
Soren, a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator, was also a contender for the post of chief minister in January after Shibu Soren quit the post.
The vigilance department has in the recent past registered cases against former chief minister Madhu Koda and five former ministers – Enos Ekka, Harinarayan Rai, Kamlesh Singh, Bandhu Tirkey and Bhanu Pratap Sahi.
The vigilance court has also issued arrest warrants for Ekka and Rai.