Ex- Bihar Minister Illiyas Hussain, 2 others sentenced to 4 Years’ RI in Bitumen Scam case

Alok Mishra
Patna : The Special Judge, Ranchi, on September 27, 2018, sentenced the then Road Construction Department  Minister, Bihar Government, Mohammad Illiyas Hussain, and Mohd. Sahabudin Beig, the
then private secretary to Illiyas, to four years’ rigorous imprisonment and also slapped a fine of Rs 4 lakh on both of them in a Bitumen Scam case of 1997. The court also sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment to Bitumen transporter JP Agarwal, proprietor of M/S Janardan Prasad Agarwal, Main Road, Kuju, Hazaribagh, with a fine of Rs 6 lakh in the case. Illiyas Hussain is a senior RJD leader.
The CBI had registered a case on March 20, 1997, against M/s Janardan Prasad Agarwal, Bitumen transporter, Khazanchi Talav, KB Marg,-Boddam Bazaar, Hazaribagh, and other unknown officials of the Road Construction Department and other departments. It was alleged that M/S Janardan Prasad Agarwal, Bitumn transporter, in connivance with Illiyas Hussain, Shahabuddin Beig and others of Road Construction department misappropriated 375 metric tone of bulk bitumen worth Rs. 18.75 lakh (approx). Accused JP Agarwal lifted 1,500 metric ton
bitumen from IOCL/BPCL, Haldia, for transportation of the same to the RCD, Gumla, but in connivance with said accused persons misappropriated 375 metric ton of bulk bitumen.
After investigation, a chargesheet was filed in the designated court on July 26, 2003, against the accused. The trial court found the accused guilty and convicted them.