CBI takes over probe into Yamuna Expressway scam in Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav regimes

Lucknow, Dec 25: The CBI has taken over the investigation into the Yamuna Expressway scam and named former CEO P C Gupta and 20 others in its FIR, officials said on Wednesday.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had started the 165-km expressway project in 2009, and her rival Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, who became chief minister after her, had inaugurated it in 2012.

Former chief executive of the expressway firm PC Gupta and 19 others are named former CEO P C Gupta and 20 others in its FIR.

The Uttar Pradesh government in June 2018 initiated the probe after BJP's Yogi Adityanath became chief minister - into the alleged scam.

The agency has acted on the recommendation of the Uttar Pradesh government to probe alleged irregularities worth Rs 126 crore in the purchase of large areas of land in Mathura for the Yamuna Expressway project.

The state government alleged that the land for Yamuna Expressway was purchased in seven Mathura villages by the then Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority at Rs 85 crore which resulted in a loss of Rs 126 crore to the state government, they said.