SC to pronounce verdict tomorrow on PIL in Mulayam assets

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court will pronounce tomorrow its verdict on a PIL seeking CBI inquiry into the huge assets, allegedly acquired through corrupt means, of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family members.

A bench headed by Justice A R Lakshmanan which also includes Justice Altamas Kabir will decide the issue whether a CBI inquiry as demanded by the petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi is called for.

According to the petitioner, the Samajwadi Party(SP) supremo Mulayam Singh had assets worth only Rs 79,000 in 1977 which according to his own admission now stands at about Rs 30 crore, while the total income from the salaries and other sources of Mulayam Singh, his two sons and daughter-in-law is only Rs 1.25 crore.

The petitioner had however alleged that the total assets of UP Chief Minister, his MP son Akhilesh Kumar Singh Yadav, his another son Pratik Yadav and his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav are over Rs 100 crore and SP MPs have generously contributed to the private colleges being run by Yadav family members in district Etawah, from MP LAD scheme.

Tomorrow's verdict assumes significance as the seven phased assembly elections in UP are going to be held in April and May and an adverse judgement may have far reaching consequences for the political fortunes of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

According to the petitioner the huge assets have been acquired by Singh and his family members by abusing their official status as public servant and hence the respondents are liable to be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly acquiring assets beyond their known sources of income.

Singh had, however, contended that all the allegations made in the PIL which is politically motivated, were bogus and the petitioner was an active Congress activist in the state. He has also contended that the properties mentioned in the list of the petitioner were acquired when he was not in power .

Counsel for the petitioner had, however, demanded the appointment of an independent counsel on the lines of US supreme court which appointed such counsel to investigate charges against the former US presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, as the recent CBI investigations against the political personalities have not been found free and fair as the premier investigating agency changed its tune with the change of party in power.

Petitioner was represented by senior counsel K T S Tulsi and Mulayam Singh was represented by senior counsel Harish Salve.

UNI