CBI winds up probe in DA case against Mayawati

CBI today closed its probe in thecase against BSP supremo Mayawati relating to her alleged disproportionate assets after receiving legal opinion on the Supreme Court orders on the issue. CBI sources said the agency today closed the probe as the legal opinion was not in favour of continuing with the investigation after the Supreme Court orders given in the case.

CBI today closed its probe in thecase against BSP supremo Mayawati relating to her alleged disproportionate assets after receiving legal opinion on the Supreme Court orders on the issue. CBI sources said the agency today closed the probe as the legal opinion was not in favour of continuing with the investigation after the Supreme Court orders given in the case.

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High placed sources said the apex court had quashed the agency's FIR in connection with alleged disproportionate assets case against the BSP leader last year but the matter was in a limbo after an intervention application was filed by a private person. The Supreme Court had on August 8 this year dismissed the intervention application, paving the way for the closure of the DA case against Mayawati, they said.

The sources said that after getting a certified copy of the latest order, the agency had sought legal opinion on the orders of the apex court on the issue. They said the legal experts were of the view that the agency should close the probe in the case. The experts felt if anyone wants a probe, he can approach an appropriate court to get a suitable order with which CBI would comply, they said.

On August 8, the apex court had dismissed a petition filed by Uttar Pradesh resident Kamlesh Verma who was an intervener in the case filed by Mayawati for quashing the DA case against her. While reserving its verdict on May 1, the bench had said the FIR in the DA case was quashed because CBI proceeded against her without properly understanding its orders which were confined to the Taj Corridor case. However, it had said the judgement had not taken away CBI's power to proceed against her in a separate DA case.

The Supreme Court had on July 6 last year quashed the nine-year disproportionate assets case against the BSP leader and had pulled up CBI for exceeding its jurisdiction by lodging an FIR against her without any direction from it. The court had said the DA case against Mayawati was "unwarranted" and that the agency proceeded against her without properly understanding its orders which were confined to the Taj Corridor case relating to the release of Rs 17 crore by the UP government allegedly without sanction.