The Bihar Vigilance Bureau will interrogate former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami in connection with misutilisation and diversion of Rs 1.52 crore funds of the District Urban Development Authority during his tenure as Patna District Magistrate.

The state bureau last week registered a case against Goswami, who figured among the Asian Heroes of Time Magazine in 2004 - and former district planning officer J J B Tirkey, and governing body members of two non-existent non-governmental organisations in this connection. The investigating agency has booked Goswami, Tirkey and others under various sections of Indian Penal Code including Section 420 and Prevention of Corruption Act.

"The investigation officer would interrogate Goswami in a day or two," said Additional Director General Vigilance, Neelmani.

He said the special vigilnce court on Friday issued production warrant against Goswami,who is in judicial custody in the Beur jail  in Patna in connection with multi-crore flood relief scam. "The court remanded Goswami and granted the Bureau's request to interrogate him in Beur jail," he said.

Goswami, the key accused in the multi-crore rupee flood relief scam, had surrendered before a court in Patna in June and was since lodged in Beur jail in Patna. Four months ago, the urban development department had requested Governor Buta Singh and the chief secretary to get the matter probed by a government agency.

Goswami is allegedly involved in misappropriation of Rs 1.52 crore, meant for Swarana Jayanti Swarojgar Yojna and National Slum Development Programme during his tenure as the district magistrate of Patna.

His involvement in this case came to light during an inquiry by the Urban Development department, said officials. The inquiry revealed that Rs 76 lakh, meant each for SJSRY and NSDP, was misappropriated between June and September 2004.

The inquiry report said the department had allotted Rs 69.63 lakh to the district urban development agency for distribution among 11 urban local bodies in the district. But the money was distributed to 17 non-governmental organisations for giving vocational training to people below poverty line.

Similarly, Rs 76 lakh meant for NSDP was given to 19 NGOs. Ironically, it was found that most NGOs to whom the money was granted, were non-existent.