Manhart scam: Saryu Rai files criminal writ in HC

Ranchi: Former Jharkhand minister and independent MLA from Jamshedpur East, Saryu Rai has approached the Jharkhand High Court demanding an inquiry into the Manhart scam. Saryu Rai has filed a criminal writ in the High Court and has demanded a probe into the entire matter.

Saryu Rai has also attached many documents in his petition and even ACB has been made a party in the petition. Sharing this information, Saryu Rai wrote on his Twitter wall that he has filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court against the government not taking further action despite the charges being proved in the investigation of the Mainhart scam, despite the counter statements of many accused including the main accused. The petition is awaited for hearing.

Saryu Rai has also raised the issue of ‘Manhart’ during the Jharkhand Assembly session held last year. Saryu Rai had said that after the formation of a separate state of Jharkhand, a petition was filed in the High Court by some social worker of Ranchi, in which the court had given an important order in 2003.

In this, the state government was asked to develop a sewerage-drainage system in the capital Ranchi as well. After that order, according to the order of the then Urban Development Minister Bachcha Singh, two consultants were selected by taking out the tender to reinstate the consultant. But in the meantime, the government changed.

In 2005, Raghubar Das was made the Urban Development Minister in the Arjun Munda government. He called a meeting on August 31 to finalize the DPR. Then it was decided that the already selected consultant should be removed. Later this matter also went to the High Court. According to the allegations, about Rs 21 crore was spent on this, but no work was done on the ground. It was also investigated but no action was taken on the inquiry report.

There is an allegation of irregularity in the Manhart who was appointed as a consultant to prepare the DPR for the sewerage-drainage construction in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. In October 2020 Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered for a ACB probe in the scam. In June 2021 some people including former Chief Minister Raghubar Das were served a notice in the case and were asked to clarify their stand before the ACB.