The probe into Gyatri Prajapati case took an interesting turn when the minister reportedly challenged the on-going enquiry against him by lodging primarily protest before lokayukta, Justice (retd)NK Mehrotra, the state ombudsman who is probing the charges of disproportionate assets and illegal mining charges against the State Mining Minister. Now Mehrotra, is likely to issue notice to the complainant, Om Shankar Dwivedi, to clear the objections raised by Prajapati, so further legal action could be initiated in the matter. Interestingly, Dwivedi, already backed out from his allegations made earlier in 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 reply to Mehrotra’s query or would go with his earlier stand of withdrawing his complaint in the matter.
It may be also mentioned here that 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. Sources in the lokayukta officer confirmed that 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.
Meanwhile the mining officer of Banda and Hamirpur also appeared before lokayukta and handed over details of the leases which were extended during the present government’s regime. However, they reportedly provided distorted facts so lokayukta directed them to come with full records which included Government Orders and Orders issued by Apex or High Court in this regard. In Banda, the extension of leases of Prakash Chandra Dwivedi and Sirajdwaj Singh, has been extended for the period from December 15, 2014 to July 6, 2016, and from December 15, 2014 till July 14, 2016 respectively.
Both the extension orders were issued on December 4, 2014, after finding that the lease holder could not continue mining due to non-clearance from Environment Department. Similarly, in Hamirpur, six leases were extended which included three each of Dinesh Kumar Mishra and his brother Ramesh Kumar Mishra. lokayukta had now summoned full records to ensure whether the extension has been given as per the rules and regulations, or court and government orders were manipulated by the officials to facilitate the lease holders.