Wednesday, July 6 2005 16:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: After grilling the high-profile former Patna district magistrate, Gautam Goswami, the vigilance bureau today (July 6, 2005) produced him before the special vigilance court, which extended his judicial remand by another 14 days in connection with the multi-crore flood-relief scam.

The vigilance investigation bureau, which had taken Goswami, an IAS officer, on remand for five days on July 1, a day after he had surrendered after evading arrest for a month, produced him before the designated vigilance judge, Jitendra Mohan Sharma, this afternoon.

Sharma extended his judicial remand till July 19.

The bureau's officials said that Goswami had not made any startling revelation 'but we have sufficient evidence to prove his complicity in the embezzlement of the funds meant for distribution among victims of the 2004 floods'.

The vigilance officials, according to its counsel P P Singh, were planning to move the court once again to take Goswami on remand for further interrogation as he had not cooperated.

The court also extended the period of judicial remand of five more accused, including its alleged kingpin and supplier of relief materials Santosh Kumar Jha, manager of IDBI (Patna branch) Sanjay Kumar Jha and another bank employee Shailendra Kumar who were also lodged in the high-security Beur jail in connection with the case.