Thaindian News

Lucknow, Sep 10 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh minister Awadhpal Singh Yadav, indicted of corruption by Lokayukta Justice N.K. Mehrotra, withdrew his petition against the ombudsman’s recommendation, sources said Saturday.

Yadav resigned as the animal husbandry and dairy development minister Aug 17 after Chief Minister Mayawati told him to step down in the wake of the Lokayukta’s report.

Mehrotra explicitly recommended his ouster after finding him guilty of corruption and blatant misuse of authority.

Yadav had moved the high court terming as misconceived and baseless the Lokayukta’s recommendation to remove him from office.

But he sought an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of his petition Friday, sources said.

“It appears that realisation dawned on the former minister that there was nothing that he could put forth in his defence as the charges were amply proved in the Lokayukta’s report,” said government’s chief standing counsel Devendra Upadhaya.

Yadav was found guilty of grabbing government land through fraudulent interpolations in the land records, misuse of authority and for showing undue financial favours to his close relatives, some of whom were also found to be openly collecting bribes on his behalf.

The minister’s removal was sought on the plea that he had violated the oath of office and secrecy, taken at the time of his swearing-in.

But prosecution proceedings were recommended under the provisions of the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act for grabbing lands.