Taj Corridor case: HC dismisses petitions against Mayawati

, Nov 5: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad

on Monday dismissed all six petitions that challenged the Uttar Pradesh government's decision of not initiating prosecution of BSP chief and former UP Chief Minister

in the Rs 17-crore Taj Corridor scam.

The petitions had sought to resume trial proceedings against Mayawati and her cabinet colleague Naseemuddin Siddiqui. The bench comprising justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and Ashwani Kumar Singh said while passing the 74-page verdict that all petitions were dismissed for they were devoid of merit.

Mayawati's counsel and senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said the petitions filed were 'politically motivated'. Speaking to the reporters, Mishra said there were no offences against Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stopped its probe into the scam in June 2007 after the UP government refused to put Mayawati and her associates on trial.

Mayawati launched the project to beautify areas near the Taj Mahal in 2002 and reports said Rs 17 crore was released for the project and work had started without receiving any environmental clearance. The Supreme Court of India had asked the CBI to begin a probe into the alleged scam.

OneIndia News

(With PTI inputs)