Lucknow, Aug 17: Uttar Pradesh minister Awadhpal Singh Yadav, against whom Lokayukta has sought lodging of corruption case, today resigned “on moral grounds”.
“I have sent my resignation to Chief Minister Mayawati. I am resigning on moral grounds,” he told PTI.
On the corruption and other charges against him, the Animal Husbandry Minister said he will present his side “to the right forum at the right time”.
UP Lokayukta Justice N K Mehrotra had yesterday recommended Yadav's removal from the ministry and lodging of cases against him under the Anti-Corruption Act and Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act.
Lokayukta had also recommended that all cases lodged against Singh after 2007 be handed over to an independent agency like the CB-CID for a thorough probe.
In his report, Mehrotra has cited police inaction on evidence provided against the minister in a triple murder case in Etah and blamed the SSP of not providing adequate information to him on cases lodged against Singh.
The case refers to the killing of a person named Vijay Verma, his son Abhinav and their gunner Santosh Yadav in Jaithra in Etah district on June 10.
In a complaint by former SP MLA Rameshwar Yadav's son Subodh and zila panchayat chairman Joginder Singh, it was alleged that during his tenure as minister, Singh got 250 hospitals constructed, of which 32 were set up in Etah district itself.
“Of this 32, the construction work of 13 was given to Laturi Singh Construction Company owned by Singh's son Ramveer without any tender,” they said. PTI
