Lokayukta rejects complaint against Maya

An attempt to drag chief minister Mayawati to the Lokayukta court for allegedly granting undue favours to liquor baron Ponty Chadha fell flat on Thursday when UP’s Lokayukta, Justice NK Mehrotra, declined to entertain the complaint on the grounds that the law does not authorize him to investigate the CM. The complaint against Mayawati was filed by a journalist.

Mehrotra also said since Mayawati does not hold the charge of excise ministry, she cannot be questioned for any policy decision. He also refused to take cognizance of allegations against excise minister Nasimuddin Siddiqui for technical reasons. The complaint, he said, was not accompanied with necessary documents.

Complainant VK Mishra said he will approach the Lokayukta afresh, "this time with all the necessary documents". The UP excise policy, he charged, was tailored to favour monopolistic trade. "The rule book was thrown to the wind. No tenders were floated and the entire sector was handed over to Chadha on a platter," he alleged.

This is the second time a complaint against Chadha has reached Lokayukta. In October 2010, a farmer leader from Lakhimpur Khiri, VM Singh, had alleged that UP State Sugar Corporation Ltd had sold two sugar mills in Amroha and Bulandshahr at throwaway prices to Chadha.