Friday, December 30 2005 15:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Dubbing his arrest as 'illegal' Bihar Public Service Commission Chairman Ramsinghasan Singh yesterday (Dec 29,2005) charged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with having 'pressured' the vigilance bureau to 'falsely implicate' him and others in the case.

Singh was arrested during the day with eight colleagues for alleged irregularities in the selection of candidates for elevation to the state administrative service.

''We have been falsely implicated in the case and charges against us are baseless. The Chief Minister has pressured the vigilance bureau to victimise us,'' Singh said when mediamen approached him for his comment after he was remanded to judicial custody till January 10 by the vigilance judge.

Singh also described his arrest as illegal as sanction was not taken from Governor Buta Singh for the prosecution.

Ridiculing the allegation, Additional Director General of Vigilance Bureau Neelmani said the bureau did not require permission of any authority for prosecuting the bpsc officials as they have booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

''We have enough evidence to prove that prima facie, a case of cognisable offence is made out against all these officials,'' he added.