UP man apologises for bribe allegation

LUCKNOW : After day-long detention by police, Abhishek Gupta, who had accused chief minister’s principal secretary SP Goel of demanding bribe from him, retracted his allegation and apologised to authorities in a video that was shared to the media by senior state government officials.

Gupta, in a letter to governor Ram Naik, had alleged that Goel demanded ₹25 lakh bribe to provide land for broadening a road connecting his proposed petrol pump in Hardoi. The governor had informed chief minister Yogi Adityanath, through a letter, about the bribe allegation.

In the video, Gupta said that he made the allegations against Goel “as he had lost his mental balance when his request for land was rejected.” He said he deeply regretted making the allegation.

Gupta, 22, further said that he was under severe pressure as he had taken a loan of ₹ 1 crore to set up the petrol pump, and over 50 per cent was already completed, but non-clearance of his representation for land put him in deep financial crisis. He said he was paying ₹1.10 lakh monthly instalments on his loan.

Gupta was detained at around 11 am by police ahead of his press conference here on Friday.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Kumar said Gupta was detained for interrogation after an FIR was filed against him on the complaint of state BJP headquarters office in charge Bharat Dixit, accusing him of misusing names of senior party leaders.

The chief minister had, meanwhile, ordered a probe by chief secretary Rajive Kumar to find out the “factual position” in the entire controversy.

The SSP said Gupta was accused of dropping names of senior office-bearers of BJP to mount pressure on officials of the Chief Minister Office.

He said Gupta was also accused of “defaming the state government and levelling false allegations against principal secretary SP Goel”.