New Delhi, October 8
In a major swoop in connection with the Taj Corridor Heritage Project scam, the CBI today carried out simultaneous raids at the residences of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in Delhi, Lucknow, Bulandshahar, Khurja and NOIDA.

Searches were also conducted on the premises of Ms Mayawati’s former Cabinet colleague Nasimuddin Siddique and three suspended Uttar Pradesh officials — former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister P.L. Punia, former Principal Secretary (Environment) R.K. Sharma and Environment Secretary V.K. Gupta.

Although CBI officials were tight lipped about the recoveries made during the raids so far, agency sources said the sleuths of the anti-corruption unit had seized documents relating to various investments, properties and assets acquired by Ms Mayawati in the name of her relatives.

The CBI is also understood to have recovered Rs 5 lakh from the Delhi residence of Ms Mayawati and toppled over pass books pertaining to two bank accounts in Delhi having a deposit of over Rs 2 crore.

The raids, conducted simultaneously on 21 places, began around 6.30 am. The places raided included her residence at Mall Avenue in Lucknow, her official Humayun Road residence, two houses in Inder Puri and her mother’s house in Delhi besides, her houses in NOIDA, Bulandshahar and Khurja.

The CBI has registered two regular cases under two sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Ms Mayawati, in which it has been alleged that she and others named in the case had misused their official position and amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The disproportionate assets case has been registered to probe her assets from April 1995 to August 29, 2003, during which she not only held the office of Chief Minister but was also an MLA and an MP, the CBI sources said.

The CBI case has accused Ms Mayawati of holding disproportionate income to the tune of Rs 1.38 crore and purchasing immovable assets valued at Rs 1.80 crore in the name of her family members and close relatives.

The immovable properties were bought in the name of Prabhu Dayal (her father), Raj Kumar (brother), Tej Singh (cousin), Nirmal Rani (sister-in-law), Siddarth Kumar (brother), Anand Kumar (brother), Raj Veer Singh (cousin) and Vichitra Lata (wife of Anand Kumar).

Soon after the raids began, Ms Mayawati convened a press conference at her Humayun Road residence and dared the Prime Minister to order simultaneous raids at the residences of his foster daughter and son-in-law, who she claimed, were in possession of huge properties and assets.

Terming the raids and the CBI case against her as “politically motivated”, she accused the CBI of acting under political pressure and also questioned the timing of the raids, especially with the Assembly elections in five states round the corner.

Reacting to Ms Mayawati’s accusations, Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the Centre had nothing to do with these raids as the CBI was carrying out the probe under the Supreme Court’s directive.