Yogi seeks details after his aide is accused of seeking a bribe

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asked for details in a case where his Principal Secretary S.P. Goel has been accused of seeking a Rs 25 lakh bribe, an official spokesman said.

A Lucknow-based businessman has alleged that senior IAS officer Goel sought money to approve widening of a road to his proposed petrol pump. Adityanath asked Chief Secretary Rajeev Kumar to find out the factual position in the case.

The move came after Governor Ram Naik, taking cognizance, shot off a letter to the Chief Minister apprising him of the e-mail complaint the Raj Bhawan had received from businessman Abhishek Gupta, seeking help in getting the matter expedited.

In his letter, Naik says Gupta has claimed that since he was not yielding to the bribe demand, the IAS officer was sitting on the file. The Governor asked Adityanath to look into the matter at his level.

Meanwhile, the complainant was picked up by the police in the afternoon for interrogation, said Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Kumar.

A complaint was filed against Gupta by BJP party office in-charge Bharat Dixit alleging that he was exerting pressure on senior BJP office bearers and the Chief Minister's Office to get favours, Kumar said.

"Following the complaint, the police has filed a case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly) and 500 (defamation) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) against Gupta," the SSP said.

--IANS

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