CBI probe on, state govt sets up SIC

Noida Authority lodges FIR a day after premier investigating agency files two cases

LUCKNOW/NOIDA: The state government on Wednesday constituted a special investigation cell (SIC) to probe the case registered against Yadav Singh by the Noida Authority.

The move came even though the CBI has already registered two corruption cases against the suspended Noida engineerin-chief on Tuesday and raided his premises. The CBI is conducting its probe on an order of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court passed on July 16.

Noida Authority general manager Vipin Gaur lodged an FIR against Yadav Singh and others at the Sector 20 police station (Noida) under section 409 of the IPC and section 7/13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, inspector general (law and order) A Satish Ganesh said in Lucknow.

The authority lodged the FIR on the basis of an income-tax department report in which Yadav Singh is accused of taking bribe for allotting government projects like road construction, park development and underpass construction, officials said.

“We lodged FIR last (Tuesday) night. We filed the case under section 409 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with criminal breach of trust by a government servant,” said a Noida Authority official.

In his complaint, Gaur said Singh misused his post and gave contracts to persons whose integ- rity was doubtful. Singh indulged in corrupt practices for personal benefits, the complaint said.

Gaur could not explain why the FIR was registered only after the CBI swung into action. Yadav had not reported to office since his suspension, he added. The I-T department had sent its threepage report to the Noida authority in 2014.

Deputy inspector general of police (Meerut range) Ramit Sharma has been made in-charge of the SIC. A team, including the Gautam Buddha Nagar SSP, five inspectors and a gazette officer would probe the FIR against Yadav Singh and submit a report to director general of police Jagmohan Yadav.

Social activist Nutan Thakur, on whose PIL the high court ordered the CBI probe, said the constitution of the SIC was a ploy to protect Yadav Singh and his associates.

In February, the state government constituted a judicial commission headed by justice (retd) Amarnath Verma to probe the case. Later, the high court rejected the state government plea that it had initiated a probe against Yadav Singh and ordered a CBI inquiry.

The Noida authority had suspended Yadav Singh on December 8, 2014 after income tax department had accused him of taking bribe in executing government projects.