Mayawati gets respite in Taj Corridor Case; Supreme Court rejects application

NI Wire

New Delhi

Wed, 10 Oct 2007: 

Oct 10 : The Supreme Court rejects an application challenging the order of Uttar Pradesh Governor TV Rajeshwar refusing sanction for prosecution of state ChieMinister Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case saying their was no evidence.

A bench, comprising Justice S B Sinha, Justice S H Kapadia and Justice D K Jain, dismissed the application filed by amicus curiae Krishan Mahajan challenging the order of the Governor.

The Apex Court has earlier rejected the plea filed by Ajay Aggarwal and Krishna Mahajan seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation designated judge, Lucknow to proceed with the trial in the Taj Corridor case.

The Supreme Court advocate Ajay Aggarwal argued that the protection under (197)CrPc is not available to the public servants with corruption charges .He also accused governor of Uttar Pradesh T.V Rajeshwar for declining prosecution in this case without looking into the matter.

Taj Corridor case created a huge controversy which was proposed to do a facelift to the area surrounding Taj Mahal and build a shopping complex near it.

The plan was forwarded by the Central Pollution Control Board and its consultancy firm German Technical Cooperation which was against the guidelines given by environment ministry as it was a breach of the protective measure taken to protect the monument and also under this no building can be erected near the monument.

Central Bureau of Investigation was probing the case under the guidance of Supreme Court which involve over 100 crore of rupees.

Another senior advocate T.S Tulasi has justified Aggarwals allegation on CBI of saving the accused Mayawati and her cabinet colleague Naseemuddin Siddique, former Environment Secretary R.K Sharma and under secretary R.Prasad.

Last year in a judgment Supreme Court clear the way for further investigation in this regard by quashing the report of CBI to stop the case as it did not get the sanction to prosecute the case with the available evidences.

Krishan Mahajan had challenged that the order of the Governor was violative of the orders of the Supreme Court which had ordered Mayawati’s prosecution in about Rs 175-crore scandal.

This relief has come for Mayawati when she is about to register the largest political rally on first death anniversary of her mentor Kanshi Ram. A record 7-10 Lakh people gathered in Yesterdays rally at Lucknow. She attacked United Progressive Alliance for its failure to address concerns related to nuclear issues, unemployment and poverty.