CBI seeks UP govt nod to prosecute Maya in Taj case

NEW DELHI: The CBI has sent papers for obtaining sanction of Uttar Pradesh government for prosecuting BSP supremo Mayawati in the Rs 175-crore Taj Heritage Corridor case. The papers for securing the permission were sent in compliance of the order of the designated court in Lucknow which had asked the CBI to seek prosecution sanction against the former UP chief minister from the government.

Sources said the papers had been sent to the state government which would onpass them to Governor T V Rajeshwar for his final nod. The court has given time till May 15 to the CBI for filing the sanction for prosecution before it could take cognizance of the report of the CBI submitted before the designated court on February 15.

Complying with Supreme Court directions, CBI has submitted all the material and documents, including the investigation report in the case. The sources said permission has also been sought for prosecution of former environment minister Nassemuddin Siddqi, former state environment secretary R K Sharma, under secretary Rajendra Prasad and additional general manager of NBCC Mahendra Sharma.

Among others named by the CBI report as accused was owner of Ishrako Construction company Kamal Radu. The Supreme Court had earlier quashed CBI’s case closure report against Ms Mayawati and the investigating agency had come in for severe criticism from the court on November 27 last year for taking legal opinion in the case despite the fact that the entire investigating team favoured Mayawati’s prosecution.

The Supreme Court, while criticising CBI for seeking legal opinion from attorney general Milon K Banerjee, had said that “in the present case there was no difference of opinion on investigation by the investigating team...therefore, there was no question of referring the matter to AG for his opinion”.

The case had come before the Supreme Court after a PIL was filed by advocate Ajay Agarwal challenging the decision not to prosecute Mayawati in the case on the basis of the opinion of the AG when the investigating officer in the case Neeraj Nayan had opined otherwise.

The case had been sent to the Central Vigilance Commission for its opinion. The CVC concurred with the CBI in closing the cases against former chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh D S Bagga, Mayawati’s former personal secretary P L Puniya, former Union environment secretary K C Mishra, state environment secreatray V K Gupta and S C Vali, MD of the PSU which was given the construction contract for the Taj heritage corridor work.