UP hands over Noida land scam probe to CBI

Lucknow, May 28 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government today decided to hand over the Noida Land Scam probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The state Principal secretary(Home) K Chandramauli said here that the government has decided to go for the CBI probe.

A recommendation letter for the CBI probe will be sent very soon to the Centre.

There had been allegations of 'irregularities' in the plot allotment by the Noida Development Authority with various political parties, particulary the Congress, alleging that former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had made the allotments to most favoured persons using discretionary powers of allotments.

The allotments were made in 2005 through a lottery system. The Allahabad High Court had later quashed the allotments and ordered a CBI probe. Subsequently, the Supreme Court stayed the high court order.

Recently, Union minister Kapil Sibal had distributed a list of beneficiaries which included Sheeba Sabharwal, daughter of then chief justice of India Y K Sabharwal.

Also on the list were close kin of judges and highest functionaries in the high court registry. Prominent in the group are sons of Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Subodh Kant Shrivastava.

As many as 33 plots have gone to the SP MPs, MLAs, MLCs (sitting or former) and various functionaries of Lohia Vahini. The list records allotment of six plots to two private secretaries of chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav -- SR Yadav and Gyanendra Yadav. While SP general secretary Amar Singh's PS Nand Lal and Pradeep Kapoor also got two plots.

Former advocate general and SP MP Virendra Bhatia and four of his associates have been shown to have sanctioned four plots while 35 IAS and IPS officers of UP cadre have also apparently benefitted from the lottery, which Mr Sibal claimed was rigged.

A few journalists also formed part of the list.

Meanwhile, the newly-elected BSP government has unearthed a scandal surrounding auction of prime land near Greater Noida.

A probe into the goings-on of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) had brought the new scandal to the fore. The Greater Noida scam is alleged to be to tune of Rs 200-crore.

UNI