lokayukt, Justice (|Retd), NK Mehrotra summoned home secretary, Kamal Saksena, to reply on the issue of providing security cover to associates of Mining Minister, Gyatri Prajapati.Mehrotra, who is making an investigation in the matter against the said minister, already get some clinching evidences regarding the allegations that rooms of a VIP Guest under Hazratganj police station, has been booked in the name of minister and his associates and alleged to be used to run illegal mining syndicate.
Sources said that Mehrotra had taken the Home Department move were seriously under which they tried to delay the information regarding security provided to Prajapati’s associates. The home department in it’s reply reportedly written that the information sought from them needs time, at least for a fortnight so they would appraised as and when they prepared the details. However, Mehrotra, taking serious cognizance of the above move, had now summoned home secretary, Kamal Saksena, directing him to appear before him with the details in his office on February 6.
Besides Saksena, sources said that some witnesses, who wanted to give evidence against Prajapati, did not turned up before Mehrotra on Fridayso he now asked them to appear in the next week with details which they had with them in the matter. Sources also said that Mehrotra also took the move of principal secretary, Mining, Gurdeep Singh very seriously in which the officer did not provided information regarding how the transfer order of survey officer of Sonebhadra, Ram Nath Yadav, was changed.
Sources said that Yadav, was transferred and attach with DG (Mining) office in October 13, 2013 but he was not relieved and on February, 25 last year, he was again posted at the same place. Mehrotra asked details that under what conditions, transfer has been changed. However, Gurdeep, reportedly replied that he was not having any detail and when he would get the file, he will inform. Taking Gurdeep’s reply seriously, Mehrotra now directed the officer to sent reply with two or three days.
Sources further said that the officials of the Estate Department had replied to Mehrorta’s query whether rooms of the VIP guest house has been booked continuously in the name of Gyatri Prajapati and his associates, allegedly to run the syndicate. The Estate Department confirmed that the rooms were booked in minister and his aide’s names. Now the reply would support the allegations made in this regard by social activist Nutan Thakur, who provided named and alleged that the government guest house has been used to operate mining syndicate.
Meanwhile, Thakur, on Friday also wrote a letter to Governor Ram Naik, seeking his intervention for a fair probe in Prajapati’s case. Presenting important facts in her letter, Thakur claimed to have appraised Naik that when she last appeared before lokayukta to present facts in the said case, Justice Mehrotra had told her that he has undertaken many enquiries but in no case has the situation arisen as in Prajapti enquiry. She claimed that as per Mehrotra, he can only conduct enquiries, it is for the Government to decide what to do with it, yet these people are opposing the enquiry against Prajapati.
Thakur has also said that lokayukta told her that allegations of illegal mining are very serious but he cannot get them physically verified through his office staff for fear of unfortunate happening. He wants a detailed investigation in this case but does not have faith in state investigative agencies, while he is hesitating from recommending CBI enquiry hoping the State government might refuse it. She requested Ram Naik to get these facts verified from the lokayukta and take necessary action so that a fair probe could be made and the accused will be punished.
