SC orders CBI inquiry into assets of Mulayam, kin

Busy gearing for Assembly polls in the state next month, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav received a jolt today when the Supreme Court directed the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry against him

Busy gearing for Assembly polls in the state next month, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav received a jolt today when the Supreme Court directed the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry against him and his family members into allegations that they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Without specifying any time-frame, the bench of Justices A R Lakshmanan and Altamas Kabir asked the CBI to submit a report to the Centre after probing allegations levelled against Mulayam Singh, his son Akhilesh, daughter-in-law Dimple and another son Prateek in a PIL by UP resident Vishwanath Chaturvedi. Depending on the outcome of the probe, the Centre, the bench said, could decide on further steps.

In Lucknow, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said Mulayam Singh would file a review petition in the Supreme Court to let a judge or any agency conduct an independent probe but not the CBI. He said his party did not trust the CBI because the Centre used it as a”tool” to harass political rivals.

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While giving directions for the probe, the bench said it would be in Mulayam Singh and his family’s interest”to have their honour vindicated by establishing that the allegations are not true”.

“Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is a senior politician and holding a very high public post of Chief Minister in a very big state in India and the allegations made against him have cast a cloud on his integrity. Therefore, in his own interest, it is of utmost importance that the truth of these allegations is determined by a competent forum,” the bench said.

“Very valuable properties in the heart of city have been purchased for lower sale consideration and lesser than the market value on the date of purchase and therefore it requires a detailed enquiry which is time-consuming… In our opinion, the minuteness of the details furnished and the I-T returns and Assessment Orders, Sale Deeds etc have to carefully looked into and analysed only by an independent agency,” the bench said, adding that the CBI could take help of chartered accountants, engineers and certified valuers during the course of the investigation.

Mulayam Singh and his family had questioned the maintainability of the PIL alleging that petitioner Chaturvedi was associated with the Congress and the allegations against them were politically motivated. But the bench said that the plea for an independent probe against the CM and his family cannot be dismissed.

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“The ultimate test, in our view, therefore, is whether the allegations have any substance. An enquiry should not be shut out at the threshold because a political opponent of a person with political difference raises an allegation of commission of offence. Therefore, we mould the prayer in the writ petition and direct the CBI to enquire into alleged acquisition of wealth by respondents (Yadavs),” said the bench.