New Delhi, July 13: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a reply from Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh on a plea by Uttar Pradesh government seeking to take necessary action against him for alleged irregularities in allotment of plots at Lucknow by previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
The Mayawati government had in November last moved an application in the apex court contending that an inquiry report has held Singh guilty of misusing his power during the previous rule for allotment of plots kept for economically weaker sections.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan issued a notice to the Samajawadi leader for a reply in four weeks.
The court also took on record the fresh affidavit filed by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) alleging gross irregularities in allotment of 28 plots at Vipul Khand in Gomti Nagar which caused a loss of over Rs 2.88 crore to state exchequer and sought cancellation of the allotment.
Singh’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi alleged a political battle was being played out in courts and it has been happening ever since the Mayawati government came to power.
“When there is a change in government, there is a change in the affidavit,” he said.
Rohtagi’s submission was countered by Uttar Pradesh government’s counsel and senior advocate K K Venugopal who said “fraud does not change”.
He said the plots, which were meant for the weaker sections of society, were transferred in the name of influential persons on the very same day.
The affidavit by LDA said there was a violation in the allotment procedure as no affidavit was taken from the allottees and it was clearly evident that the officials in connivance with the applicants had conspired to make the allotment ignoring the rules.
“Even certain cases have come to light where registration fees has been deposited after the date of lottery draw and all the 28 allottees have been provided the benefit of direct allotment and have been shown to have been alloted through lottery system,” the affidavit said.
It said the plots were meant for institutional purposes but it was illegally converted into residential.
“The procedure for registration of residenetial plots of LDA was given a complete go-by and the allotments were made directly to the highly-placed influential persons,” the affidavit said.
Singh has also filed an affidavit pleading that the inquiry undertaken by a retired High Court Judge, which was scrapped by the Mayawati government, should be allowed to be continue.
“It is submitted that the inquiry by the Commission headed by retired Judge of the High Court which was scrapped by the present government should be allowed to continue and a report of inquiry should be submitted to this court,” Singh had said in his seven-page affidavit filed in the apex court.
Uttar Pradesh government and Singh had filed applications and affidavits in the pending PIL by advocate Vishwanath Chaturvedi who has alleged that the Samajwadi Party leader was illegally allotted plots kept for economically weaker sections by the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
—-Agencies