Wednesday, April 27 2005 13:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Without ruling out a CBI probe into the flood-relief scam involving Rs 18 crore, Governor Buta Singh today (Apr 27, 2005) said that the offenders, whosoever they may be, would be brought to justice soon.

"I am not averse to CBI inquiry into alleged siphoning of the Government funds in the name of distribution of relief to the flood-hit victims," Singh told reporters at the secretariat in Patna.

"The State agency is already on the job and let the report come first," he said adding the State Government would order firs to be lodged against officials if a case of defalcation or diversion of funds was prima facie made out against anyone of them.

"If we find that the State agency has not come upto the expectations in carrying out a thorough probe, we will recommend a CBI inquiry," he further said.

Gautam Goswami, a 1992 batch IAS officer, who was named by the Time magazine as a young Asian hero for his exemplary work in reaching help to flood victims in Bihar last year, is now in the firing line of the Bihar Government, which has ordered a vigilance probe into his alleged acts of "omission and commission".