Lokayukta presses charges against UP ex-minister Kushwaha

The Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta, former judge N K Mehrotra, has recommended the registration of a case against former UP family welfare and mining minister and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Babu Sigh Kushwaha for corruption.

In his report sent to Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday, the Lokayukta also recommended that the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Enforcement Directorate should also probe Kushwaha's cases as they involved money laundering.

"There were three complaints against Kushwaha. After inquiry into these, a probe by either the CBI or Director Vigilance after registering a first information report (FIR) under Prevention of Corruption and the Money Laundering Acts has been recommended," Mehrotra told newspersons.

Kushwaha, reputedly a Dalit leader in Uttar Pradesh, was sacked by chief minister Mayawati late last year for corruption. He was subsequently inducted by the Bharatiya Janata Party this year, much to its subsequent embarrassment. He has now been sacked by the BJP as well.

Mehrotra said that there were three complaints against Kushwaha, including allotting mining leases to hand-picked persons, inviting dummy applications through advertisements in little-known newspapers.

He said that the former minister was also accused of issuing mining leases without permission from the union environment ministry, and allowing the use of prohibited machinery.