Saturday, June 4 2005 11:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: A special court yesterday (Jun 3, 2005) adjourned till June 6 the hearing on the anticipatory bail application of former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, alleged key accused in the multi-crore flood relief scam.

The designated vigilance judge, Jitendra Mohan Prasad, adjourned the hearing on his bail prayer as senior public prosecutor of the vigilance investigation bureau, P P Singh, was not present.

Goswami's lawyer Tuhin Shankar too agreed to defer the hearing on Monday when additional public prosecutor Vijay Kumar Himanshu told the court that his senior Singh would be available on Monday to argue the case.

Goswami, who has been charged with fraud, forgery, cheating and entering into criminal conspiracy with some fake firms while carrying out relief for flood-hit poor during 2004, had yesterday applied for anticipatory bail in the court in connection with the scam.

In his petition, Goswami has denied the allegations of embezzlement and urged the court to grant him bail as he was ready to fully cooperate with the vigilance investigation bureau.

''My client is also not likely to tamper with the evidence as he is no more a Government servant and is not likely to fly away,'' Tuhin Shankar, Goswami's advocate said adding Goswami was also ready for interrogation whenever and wherever the vigilance bureau wanted.

The anticipatory bail application was filed on behalf of Goswami a day after the vigilance bureau enhanced the reward money for a person providing clues leading to arrest of him.

Santosh Jha, alleged kingpin of the scam, had on Wednesday (Jun 1, 2005) surrendered before the court of Prasad who had remanded him to judicial custody till June 10 in connection with the scam.

The vigilance judge had on Tuesday (May 31, 2005) issued non-bailable warrants against Goswami and eight others, including Jha.

Earlier, the vigilance sleuths had arrested five of the 28 accused.