Lokayukta for CBI and ED probe against Naseemuddin
Lokayukta NK Mehrotra, who is looking into complaints of disproportionate assets, nazul land grabbing and illegal allotment of mining contracts against BSP strongman Naseemuddin Siddiqui, on Friday recommended a CBI and ED probe into the charges. HT reports.
Lokayukta NK Mehrotra, who is looking into complaints of disproportionate assets, nazul land grabbing and illegal allotment of mining contracts against BSP strongman Naseemuddin Siddiqui, on Friday recommended a CBI and ED probe into the charges.
“I have sent my report recommending a probe by CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Siddiqui to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav,” said the lokayukta while talking to HT on Friday.
“I have stated in the report that assets owned by Afzal Siddiqui (son of Naseemuddin) and Zamiruddin (brother) should also be probed,” the lokayukta added.
The lokayukta is looking into a complaint filed by one Ashish Sagar Dixit in November 2011against Siddiqui, the then PWD and irrigation minister.
Dixit has alleged that Siddiqui had acquired wealth disproportionate to his known source of income and allotted patta (contracts) for mining to his favourites in Banda district.
During a priliminary probe, it was found by the lokayukta that while Siddiqui had stated that his annual income was R77.16 lakh in the returns filed with the income tax department, he had actually invested R1.3 crore in a property in Banda.
In the complaint, Dixit has alleged that Siddiqui invested 'ill-gotten money' in a firm AQ Frozen Food run by his son Afzal. Lokayukta said: "During probe I found that Afzal was running six companies, AQ Frozen Food, GT Infotech, QF Enterprises, AOB Agro Food Private Limited, AAA Awas Private Limited and AOB Export Private Limited. All the companies were registered in Kanpur and Delhi. I issued 8 summons to Afzal but he did not appear forcing me to ask the Income Tax Department to give the details of the returns filed by Afzal and the balance-sheet of his companies."
While scanning the income tax documents, it was found that in 2008-09, Afzal had stated that the total capital invested in AQ Frozen Food Company was Rs 15.44 lakh. Within three years, the capital of the company increased to 1.41 crore whereas the turnover of the company slumped from Rs 37.68 lakh to Rs 7.78 lakh. "How the capital of the company increased whereas its turnover reduced must be probed by the investigation agency," the lokayukta said. It was also found that the company had drawn insecure loans of Rs 2.23 crore. "The owner of a private company cannot get insecure loan from relative or director. Who gave the fund to the company is a matter of probe," said the lokayukta.