The CBI sleuths also conducted raids at offices and residences of senior UP state officials today after filing the FIR. Simultaneous search operation was on at the premises of a BSP activist and proprietor of Fire Challenger, Devanathan, in Chennai. The CBI has not yet raided Mayawati's house.
The CBI's FIR accused Mayawati of favouring her party activist Devanathan by awarding him a Rs 5.47 crore worth project for supplying 300 floating pumps to be installed at rural fire stations in the state. Three major charges aslevelled by the CBI's FIR are:
Mayawati hurriedly cleared entire money, that is Rs 5.47 crore, in one go to Devanathan, overriding the state inspection unit's written report that the supply was sub-standard. She thus allegedly conspired with Devanathan in the floating pump deal and thus caused a pecuniary loss of Rs 2.5 crore to the state government.The CBI, the sources said, is now on the huntto decipher assets and property of Mayawati disproportionate to her income. In early 1997, when Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister of UP, a matter pertaining to purchase of 300 floating pumps was put up for her sanction. When she was on the verge of clearing the project in favour of the Fire Challenger, she, according to the CBI FIR, was apprised of adverse track record of the company. Even then she went ahead with the clearance.
Other officials accused in the floating pump case are former Director of Industries Pritam Singh, former Secretary to the UP Small Industries J N Chamber, former Joint Secretary (Small Industries Department) Manisha Pawar, former IG of fire services Yashpal Singh, former DIG (Fire Services) Prakash Singh, Dy Director (Fire Services) Ganga Prasad Karsolia and former Joint Director (Purchase) O P Shrivastava.
In Noida case, Mayawati had allegedly favoured several private parties, including property dealers, by illegally allotting them government farm houses and industrialplots. The CBI has instituted a preliminary enquiry into this case too.
When the BJP Government was sworn in UP, Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, in November 1997, referred these two cases to the Central Government, requesting that a CBI enquiry be ordered into it. The Gujral Government then had notified to the CBI to investigate into these cases.
Meanwhile, Mayawati has reacted sharply to CBI registering a case against her and said the BJP was attempting to take ``political revenge'' as BSP has decided to vote against the confidence motion in Vajpayee ministry.
The BSP vice-president claimed that the CBI was implicating her in false charges as the BJP has failed to win over the party MPs to vote in favour of the motion.
``It is a complete lie. We have not committed any irregularity'', she said. ``My party will definitely vote against the confidence motion. I am not going to buckle under any threat or pressure'', she said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
