SC directs UP govt to resume inquiry against Neera Yadav

New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to resume the departmental inquiry against former state Chief Secretary Neera Yadav for her alleged involvement in Noida land scam during her tenure as head of the Noida Development Authority.

A bench comprising Juctices Arijit Pasayat, C K Thakker and Lokeshwar Singh Panta set aside the decision of the then Mayawati government to drop the departmental inquiry against the senior bureaucrat, who is currently holding the post of Chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Revenue Board.

CBI inquiry was ordered into the scam and Neera Yadav was chargesheeted for amassing wealth beyond her known sources of income under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During her tenure as Chairperson of Noida Development Authority, land was allotted to her family members, relatives of Mayawati and L K Advani and to Samajwadi Party leaders. The scandal running into crores of rupees, came to light in 2002 following which allotment of land had to be cancelled and she was removed from the post of the Chief Secretary.

The court said that both criminal as well as departmental proceedings can go side by side and their was no justification for dropping the departmental inquiry against her.

UNI