lokayukta, Justice (retd)NK Mehrotra, served notice to the complainant in the Gyatri Prajapati case and directed to appear before him and reply to the objections raised by the minister, particularly regarding validity of the affidavit submitted to buttress the charges. Mehrotra also warned the complainant that in case he failed to do so, then legal proceedings could be also initiated against him in the matter.
Sources in the lokayukta office confirmed here on Wednesday evening that Mehrotra, who is probing the matter had served a notice to the complainant, Om Shankar Dwivedi, asking him to make personal appearance on next Wednesday.
Dwivedi, was informed about the objections raised by mining minister Gyatri Prajapati and directed to come with proper reply, particularly regarding the affidavit, otherwise action could be also taken against him. The move was made by Mehrotra, after Prajapati challenged the on-going enquiry against him by lodging primarily protest before lokayukta.
Gyatri had filed a reply with Mehrotra in which he raised some primarily objection over the on-going probe against him. Sources said that Gyatri claimed that the affidavit filed against him by complainant Om Shankar Dwivedi, was not duly signed by the notary which pointed that it was fake so how a probe could be made against him on basis of a forged affidavit.
Similarly, Gyatri lodged protest that his illegal income shown by the complainant in his affidavit, and the one mentioned in the documents provided by him as evidence had vast difference than how the allegations could be correct. Besides Gyatri also raised protest that the complainant shown some persons as his cohorts but not mentioned that what relations he had with them.
likewise, the complainant also mentioned vague details of some properties shown to be owned by him or his cohorts so how a probe could be carried out on it’s basis. Citing above protest, Gyatri asked Mehrotra to first clear whether the complaint made against him was maintainable or not and if he think that it is legally correct as per the rules mentioned in the lokayukta Act, than he would give answer to the queries sought by him and would also help him in the on-going probe.
It may be mentioned that Dwivedi, whom Mehrotra served notice on Wednesday, had earlier already backed out from his allegations made while his complaint and had on record requested the lokayukta, that he did not wanted to pursue the matter. It is now to be seen whether he would appear before Mehrotra to reply to his query or would go with his earlier stand of withdrawing his complaint in the matter.
Mehrotra is also reportedly looking into legal provisions whether he could still probe charges of disproportionate assets against Prajpati, if Dwivedi backed out, or the minister would get some relief and probe regarding only charges of illegal mining against him would continue.