Former BSP minister's supporters threaten UP Lokayukta

Men claiming to be supporters of former UP power minister Ramveer Upadhyay Monday allegedly barged into Lokayukta Justice N.K. Mehrotra's office and threatened the staff after being denied some information and files asked by them.

Upadhyay is a close aide of former chief minister Mayawati.

According to the Lokayukta, who is probing certain allegations against Upadhyay and has been daggers drawn with the once-powerful minister, said some people, calling themselves his supporters, entered his office and sought to see some files pertaining to the investigation.

He added that when his private secretary A.K. Singhal refused to part with the information, they threatened to stone the office and create a ruckus.

The Lokayukta said he had communicated about the incident to senior police officers. Deputy Inspector General of Police Ashutosh Pandey said security had been beefed up at the Lokayukta office.

Justice Mehrotra had some time back had written to the principal secretary (Home) seeking a review of his personal security and that of his office as he was dealing with some cases of corruption against some high level politicians.

Mehrotra, through his various reports, was instrumental in the sacking of more than two dozen ministers of the Mayawati government. He was recently given a two-year extension by the Akhilesh Yadav government