FIR against Maya's close aides in Taj corridor scam filed

They allegedly threatened litigant

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's two aides—former cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh and senior IAS officer Navneet Sehgal—found themselves in trouble after a case was registered against them and two others for allegedly threatening a woman who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Rs 176-crore Taj Heritage Corridor scam case against Mayawati.

The woman, Anupama Singh, on whose application the FIR was registered against Singh, Sehgal, former BSP legislator Ajai Pratap Singh and Ashok Chauhan, who is founder of a leading private university, alleged that she had been threatened by the accused for filing the PIL and they put pressure on her to withdraw the same.

Singh alleged that she had to face harassment and claimed that she had been sacked from her job at the private university “unlawfully” only for filing the PIL.

Superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar said that the investigation had been transferred to the police station concerned. “Necessary action on the FIR will follow,''  Kumar said. The FIR had been filed under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 504 (criminal intimidation), 507 (criminal intimidation) and 452 (trespassing) of the IPC, Kumar added.

Mayawati and her former cabinet colleague Naseemuddin Siddique's name had figured in the Taj Heritage Corridor scam in 2003. The project envisaged linking the Taj Mahal with four other historical monument through a corridor.

Shashank Shekhar Singh is also in trouble over his alleged role in the multi-crore NRHM scam in the state. Singh, who was the then state cabinet secretary, had been authorised by Mayawati to clear files pertaining to the family welfare department, which was held by her during 2007-2009.

Singh, who had taken voluntary retirement barely a couple of days after the BSP was humbled in the assembly elections, has no friends in the current dispensation. In fact the SP leaders are baying for his blood. He has been ordered to vacate his official bungalow by May 31 next though he had it allotted to him for two years more after his retirement.