The Hindu : Other States / Uttar Pradesh News : High Court seeks progress report of food scam probe

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Friday, Apr 29, 2005

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

High Court seeks progress report of food scam probe

Asks for copy of decision against handing over investigations to CBI

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to produce the progress report of the ongoing inquiry into the multi-crore foodgrain scam in the State.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Pradip Kant and Justice R.P. Yadav passed the order on the three public interest litigations filed by one Vishvanath Chaturvedi and others seeking CBI inquiry into the scam on which another Division Bench of the High Court had earlier directed the government to consider recommending the case to CBI. While fixing May 20 as the next date for hearing, the court also asked the government to produce a copy of its decision regarding not handing over the matter to the CBI.

Arguing for the State, Advocate General Virendra Bhatia said the Government has decided not to recommend a CBI inquiry into the case as it was a time consuming process.

He said that the Economic Offences Wing of the State police is investigating the case. A number of FIRs have already been lodged in this regard and several accused arrested, he added.

Mr. Bhatia assured that no politician or bureaucrat, however influential, would be spared if found involved in the scam.

Senior advocate, R.K. Jain, on behalf of the petitioners argued that CBI probe was necessary in the scam as the matter needed to be probed even outside the state.

He said though the court had earlier asked the government to consider CBI probe it had so far proved futile.

Two more arrested

Meanwhile, slueths of the Economic Offences Wing on Thursday arrested a Block Development Officer (BDO) and Block Pramukh in Gonda district in connection with the scam.

The Director, General Economic Offences Wing, A.K. Jain, said in Lucknow that the BDO of the Wazirganj block Babulal Ram and Block Pramukh Tilak Ram were arrested for involvement in the foodgrain scam under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna in Gonda during 2001-02.

Both the accused have been charged under Section 400/420/467/468/471/100 of the IPC.

The EOW was investigating the scam in the food-for-work scheme in the State and was likely to make more arrests in this connection, Mr. Jain said. - PTI & UNI

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