CBI probe ordered against UPSIDC officials

The court has also directed the Managing Director of UPSIDC,Manoj Singh,to cooperate and provide all required documents to the CBI. It has further issued notices to the three officials – Anil Kumar Verma,Sanjay Tiwari and Manmohan – and asked them to file their counter-affidavits within one month. The other respondents,too,have been asked to file their counter-affidavits.

The PIL,filed by one Krishna Pratap Kaushik,alleged that the three UPSIDC officials had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. Verma,who allegedly acquired wealth to the tune of several hundred crores,was transferred for a while,but returned to UPSIDC with dual charge — in-charge of Architecture and Town Planning,and Project in-charge of Trans-Ganga Industrial Area,the PIL said.

The PIL also mentioned that Tiwari,an executive engineer,is Regional Manager (UPSIDC,Meerut) as well as Officer On Special Duty to the Managing Director. Manmohan,also an executive engineer,is in-charge of Construction Division in Kanpur.

Kaushik had filed a similar PIL in 2012,against which a division bench of the high court had ordered an inquiry by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The petitioner,however,produced before the court a letter dated March 22,2012,which read that the SIT had written to the MD (UPSIDC) saying that the documents required for the inquiry were not yet provided to it.

Taking all the factors into account,a division bench of Justices Sushil Harkauli and Naheed Ara Moonis ordered “a preliminary investigation to be conducted by the CBI” and “the status report be submitted within three months”.

“We also direct the Managing Director to ensure that the relevant records are made available to the CBI and the investigation is not hampered because of the circumstances as mentioned in the referred letter (March 22),” the court further said.

The court also said that the details about Verma’s return to his post with dual charge,if correct,are “a little disturbing”.