Supreme Court orders CBI to file report in DA case against Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav

The Supreme Court has issued notice on plea seeking direction to the CBI to file status report in disproportionate assets case against Mulayam Singh, his sons Akhilesh and Prateek Yadav. The case dates back to 2007. "We want to know what has happened to this case? There is a status report of 2007. What has happened? We would like to know whether the case is registered?" the apex court quizzed the CBI.

The two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta issued a notice to the CBI on a petition seeking to know the status of probe.

A bench was hearing the fresh please filed by political activist Vishwanath Chaturvedi. In 2005, Chaturvedi had filed the PIL in the top court seeking a direction to the CBI to take appropriate action to prosecute Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh, his wife Dimple Yadav and Prateek Yadav, the other son of Mulayam Singh, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly acquiring assets more than the known source of their income by misusing their power of authority.

The apex court, in its verdict of March 1, 2007, had directed the CBI "to enquire into allegations" and find out as to as to whether the plea with regard to disproportionate assets of SP leaders was "correct or not".

Later in 2012, the court dismissed the review petitions of Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh and Prateek against its verdict and had directed the CBI to go ahead with the probe against them in the disproportionate assets case.

It, however, had allowed the review plea of Dimple Yadav and had directed the CBI to drop the inquiry against her saying that she was not holding any public office.

The court had also modified its March 1, 2007 order and ordered the CBI to file the status report before the court and not to the government.

Chaturvedi, in his fresh plea, said, "Despite the yawning gap between the complaint made/court's directions and the pendency of filing of a regular Case in this matter, an unusually long period as already escaped without any action being taken on the matter for 11 long years".

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh constituency, the party announced on Sunday. Azamgarh is the constituency of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav while the SP chief representated Kannauj constituency from 2000 to 2012.

Akhilesh Yadav's father Mulayam Singh Yadav is the sitting lawmaker from Azamgarh, which has a sizeable Muslim-Yadav vote bank. However, this year, the SP patriarch has been shifted to Mainpuri -- another Samajwadi Party bastion.

In 2014, his wife Dimple had contested the seat as he became the chief minister of the state. On March 8, the party had once again named sitting MP Dimple as its candidate from Kannauj.

Besides Akhilesh, the Samajwadi party also announnced the candidature of former UP minister Azam Khan from Rampur constituency. Khan is currently a sitting legislator from the the Rampur constituency. He has been representing constituency since 1980 when he first elected as an MLA on Janata Party (Secular) ticket.

(With agency inputs)