Saturday, September 10 2005 09:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: A non-bailable warrant of arrest was today issued against D P Masheswari, the Bihar Election Commissioner by a special court in connection with the multi-crore bitumen scam.

Designated CBI judge Ramanand Sharma, while accepting the prayer of the agency's Special Public Prosecutor L R Ansari, ordered issue of the warrant of arrest against Maheshwari, who had earlier served as the Bihar's Road Construction Department secretary when the scam surfaced.

A warrant of arrest was also issued against and the then superintending engineer of the department, Janardan Sharma.

Former RJD minister for Road Construction, Iliyas Hussain, is also an accused in the case which relates to rampant irregularities in supply and purchase of bitumen worth lakhs of rupees from oil companies by the Road Construction department.

Assembly elections will be held in Bihar in four phases from October 18.