The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday filed a fresh FIR in connection with irregularities in Akhilesh Yadav’s Gomti River Front project in Lucknow. The 1,500 crore project was carried out under the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. The CBI officials are conducting raids in 42 locations including 40 in UP, one each in Rajasthan and Kolkata, reports said.
However, the former Chief Minister is not named as an accused in the FIR. This is the second case related to the project filed by the probe agency, just a few months ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The first case was lodged by the CBI on November 30, 2017, at the request of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The searches which started early in the morning are also underway at the premises of three chief engineers and six superintendent engineers of the project.
India Today reported that the CBI has named 189 persons as accused in the case, including 16 public servants and 173 private persons.
A French company named Aquatique Show is also accused in the case.
According to the investigating agency, accused public servants signed an agreement with Strasbourg-based Aquatique Show for 55.95 lakh Euros without obtaining the government’s permission. The agreement was signed for the supply and design of a musical fountain water show at Gomti river.
In the first FIR, the CBI officials investigated 12 out of 673 works, worth ₹ 1,031 crores, and in this FIR 661 works worth ₹ 407 crores will be investigated.
The Uttar Pradesh government, in 2017, had asked for an investigation into irregularities that included the diversion of funds, pooling of tenders in four major works of the Gomti River Front Development project, namely construction of a diaphragm wall, construction of intercepting trunk drain, construction of a rubber dam and preparation of vision documents.
In other India news, the former UP chief minister, Kalyan Singh has been unwell for the past two weeks.