Mining minister Gyatri Prajapati might find himself again in trouble as social activist Dr Nutan Thakur had filed a petition in the lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court demanding an enquiry by Special Investigation Team (SIT). She prayed the court to get the various facts presented by her before lokayukta during the probe against the said minister to be looked in.
According to a communiqué released on Tuesday evening, Thakur claimed to have filed a writ through her counsel,on Tuesday morning. In the petition, she claimed to have presented a complaint on 26 December 2014 to lokayukta Justice (Retd) NK Mehrotra regarding open loot of natural wealth in UP through illegal mining being undertaken under Prajapati’s direct patronage, which was dismissed by Mehrotra on 25 May 2015 in extremely suspicious circumstances. As per the petition, Mehrotra gave this clean chit to the minister y analyzing only 15 of the 54 charges.
Calling this enquiry report completely arbitrary and one-sided, Dr Thakur has prayed for quashing this report and get the allegations of rampant illegal mining in the State and amassing of huge wealth by Prajapati enquired by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the State government.
Meanwhile Nutan’s husband and suspended IPS officer Amitah Thakur sought Rs. 10,000 from the Vigilance establishment for seeking a large number of information from him in the Disproportionate assets case registered against him at Gomtinagar police station. In his letter to Investigating officer Daddan Chaue, Thakur said that he has sought Income Tax returns for the period 1992-93 to 2015-16, details of the house and car loan taken from Allahabad Bank, Gonda, certain amount deposited in Ballia in 2002 and Meerut in 2011 etc. He said most of these documents are not available with him and he will have to go to Gonda, Ballia, Meerut and Bokaro (Jharkhand), where his IT returns are filed.
Thakur said that though Article 20(3) saves a person from providing self-incriminating evidence, but he is willing to provide all the required documents but it is also the duty of the Vigilance establishment to provide him the expenses incurred in procuring these documents.