Raids conducted to arrest two former BSP ministers

The Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) of the cooperative cell Friday raided several places to look for two former Uttar Pradesh ministers of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government - Rangnath Mishra and Chandra Dev Ram Yadav.

The raids were conducted at their residences in Bhadohi and Azamgarh, officials said.

Arrest warrants against the two former ministers have been issued by the Lucknow district judge for their role in the multi-crore Labour and Construction Cooperative Federation (LACCFED) scam.

SIB officials said the two ministers were so far untraceable. Family members of both the ministers feigned ignorance about their whereabouts.

While Ranganath Mishra was the secondary education minister in the Mayawati government, Yadav was the small industries minister.

On Thursday, another minister in the BSP government, Sadan Prasad, was grilled at the SIB headquarters in Lucknow. He sought four days time to respond to the posers by the agency.

Earlier this month, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Badshaah Singh, who was the labour minister in the earlier Mayawati government, was arrested here by the SIB his involvement in a multi-crore scam.

The SIB is investigating alleged misappropriation of over Rs.50 crore from government funds meant for LACCFED to construct buildings, including mortuaries, signboards in Navodaya schools, ITI Bhavans, homeopathy hospitals, polytechnic hostels, employment exchanges, court rooms and veterinary hospitals in 2010-2011.