Former UP chief minister and BSP president Mayawati got major relief on Monday when the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court finally dismissed the public interest litigation case challenging the UP government’s decision to refuse to initiate her prosecution in the Rs 17-crore Taj Corridor scam.
The high court dismissed all six petitions seeking to resume trial proceedings against Ms Mayawati and her Cabinet colleague Naseemuddin Siddiqui. A two-judge bench of Justices Imtiaz Murtaza and Ashwini Kumar Singh said all petitions were devoid of merit and were being dismissed.
Ms Mayawati launched the project in 2002 to beautify areas near the Taj Mahal and Rs 17 crores was released for it without obtaining the environmental clearance needed. In 2003, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to inquire into the alleged scam.