Taj Corridor scam: Mayawati safe for now

NEW DELHI: The supreme court reserved its judgment on Monday on the legality of UP governor TV Rajeshwar’s refusal to sanction prosecution of Uttar Pradesh chief minister in a corruption case in the Taj Heritage corridor project.

Krishan Mahajan, a lawyer,  had filed an application challenging the governor’s order.

A bench of Justices SB Sinha, SH Kapadia and BK Jain reserved the judgment after hearing Mahajan and solicitor general Goolam E Vahanvati.

Mahajan argued that the governor’s refusal to prosecute the CM in a corruption case and trial court’s order on June 5 upholding it, were in breach of the SC’s direction that only the investigating officer’s report in the case shall be placed before the competent court to consider whether a prima facie case is made out against the CM and her associates.

“No authority in the country apart from the governor can go beyond the orders and directions of this court,” Mahajan added.

Mayawati is alleged to have made over Rs100 crore in the Taj corridor scandal. The CM has already rubbished the allegations saying the state had paid Rs19 crore for the project and she wasn’t even remotely related to the project.

Earlier, in June the court had entertained a PIL by one Manzoor Ali Khan on the same issue. Khan’s counsel DK Garg had referred to governor’s order.

The governor had exercised power under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) that requires grant of sanction by the competent authority to prosecute a public servant. Khan said the governor’s decision was politically motivated.