Mulayam accuses Sonia of proxy litigation in Supreme Court

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today in the Supreme Court accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of a proxy litigation against him for political gains for Assembly elections in the state.

The allegation was made by Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in an application seeking stay till May 31, 2007 against preliminary enquiry by CBI ordered by this court in the disproportionate assets case. The SP leader in his application has alleged the CBI inquiry will be used by the UPA government at the Centre to settle scores with him by damaging his political reputation.

The petitioner, Vishwanath Chaturvedi, a UP Congress leader had accused Mulayam Singh, his MP son Akhilesh Yadav, his daughter Dimple Yadav and his younger son Prateek Yadav of acquiring assets of over Rs 100 crore through corrupt means by misusing his official status as state Chief Minister rendering him and his family members liable for prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Mr Mulayam Singh has prayed for a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court as he has no faith in the CBI which dances to the tunes of its political masters. He has cited the cases of the dubious role played by CBI in investigation of Taj Corridor scandal case to save his arch political rival, Mayawati and Bofors gun scandal case in which according to him CBI has left no stone unturned in protecting Italian fugitive Ottavio Quattrocchi, a family friend of Sonia Gandhi and Capt Satish Sharma, a senior Congress leader.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice A R Lakshmanan had directed CBI on March one this year to hold a preliminary inquiry to find out whether a prima facie case is made out against him and submit a report to the Centre which would decide the future course of action on the basis of the CBI report.

Normally investigating agencies register a regular case if sufficient evidence is there and submit a chargesheet in the competent court on completion of investigation but in this case the CBI has been directed to submit a report to the government.

Mr Mulayam Singh in his petition has alleged that since the assembly elections in UP have already been declared, the present CBI inquiry may be used by the UPA Government at the Centre to malign him and to damage his political image during the elections.

Expressing a total lack of faith in the CBI, the petitioner has prayed for a judicial inquiry into the allegations against him and his family members by a sitting High Court judge.

UNI