Mining minister, Gyatri Prajapati, get some relief at least in connection with on-going probe of disproportionate assets case when lokayukta, Justice (retd) NK Mehrotra, closed probe filed by the first complainant, Om Shankar Dwivedi. Now only the complaints of social activists Nutan Thakur and Yashwant Singh, were still under investigation. NK Mehrotra, earlier served notice to Om Shankar directing him 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 Friday evening that Mehrotra, who is probing the matter had served a notice to the complainant, Om Shankar Dwivedi, asking him to make personal appearance, had finally closed his probe as he neither appeared nor he gave any reply to his notices. Dwivedi was informed about the objections raised by mining minister Gyatri Prajapati and directed to come with proper reply, particularly regarding the affidavit, but he did not turned up. The move was made by Mehrotra, after Prajapati challenged the on-going enquiry against him by lodging primarily protest before lokayukta.
It may be also mentioned here that Mehrotra closed the probe into Dwivedi’s complaint as he already filed an affidavit earlier on in which he requested to withdraw his complaint as he did not wanted to pursue the matter against Prajapati. Earlier, 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. Sources said that even before Prajpati made the above objections, Dwivedi also backed out from the allegations made by him.
Meanwhile, Nutan, claimed to have filed yet another affidavit on Friday, after learning through some news item that she (complainant) was unable to give details of Prajapati’s properties and that the minister would likely to get relief. She said that while Amethi resident Mahendra Kumar has turned hostile as witness, but previously he has already given detailed information on properties alleged to belong to Prajapati and his family members, their companies and some associates. She also presented a copy of details of properties presented by complainant Om Shankar Dwivedi given to her by lokayukta himself and requested the lokayukta to take cognizance of the details of these properties as presented by Mahendra and Dwivedi.