Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta recommends CBI or ED probe against BSP state president
Lucknow, Mar 14: Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta today recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) or Enforcement Directorate(ED) against former Transport minister and UP Bahujan Samaj Party president, Ram Achal Rajbhar.
Indicting former minister, Rajbhar for land grabbing, acquiring assets disproportionate to his income, money laundering and misusing his position in previous Mayawati government, Lokayukta Justice (Retd.) N K Mehrotra in his report to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, as properties acquired by the former minister and his kin were located in various states including Delhi, Maharashtra and UP an inquiry by apex investigating agency CBI or ED would be required.
The complaints against Rajbhar, charges him for land grabbing by misusing his influential status in previous government, embezzlement in purchase of buses, intervening in Transport corporation administration in arbitrary manner to benefit his near ones were filed during 2007.
However, Rajbhar taking advantage of his position skipped interrogation and filing reply for a long time which cause much delay in inquiry by Lokayukta.
Following change of guard in state in in March last year, Rajbhar filed his detailed reply, with Lokayukta office through counsels. In reply former minister had stressed that most of the money owned by him and family was received through donations from across the country given to an organisation Ram Awadh foundation run by his family.
During inquiry it was revealed that Ram Awadh foundation was lying defunct since long and was revived only after Rajbhar took over as minister in the previous government.
Rajbhar had also emphasized that major source of income to his kin was a money lending business run by women of his family. The Lokayukta had sent an inquiry team headed by a deputy police superintendent to his home town Ambedkar Nagar which exposed more facts about illegally acquired properties and corruption in Transport department during his tenure as minister.