Maya aides may face arrest for graft

Nine ministers of the former Mayawati regime in the state face the possibility of arrest in cases of corruption after the state vigilance department claimed that it had “solid evidence” against them and was contemplating seeking  government nod for their prosecution.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too dropped hints to this effect on Tuesday after he said  more ministers of the former regime could go to jail.

“More arrests are possible,'' Akhilesh quipped in reply to queries in this regard. According to sources here, the vigilance probe against Ranganath Mishra, Avadhpal Singh Yadav and Badshah Singh (former ministers) was almost complete.

“The probe has found that the allegations of corruption against all these are correct”, officials here said. The vigilance department has sought permission of the government to file charge sheet against them.

Besides that, the department has also sought government nod to register cases against former ministers Chandradeo Ram Yadav, Naseemuddin Siddique, Ramveer Upadhyay, Rakesh Dhar Tripathi and Babu Singh Kushwaha.

Kushwaha is already in jail in connection with the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission scam. Badshah Singh is also in jail currently in connection with another case.
Arrest also stares another former minister Ram Achal Rajbhar in the face after the vigilance department registered a case against him and launched a probe, sources said.

“We have conclusive evidence against all these leaders,”  the officials said.
The cases against them pertained mainly to acts of corruption during their tenure as ministers.

All these former ministers have allegedly amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.