'Lok Ayukta notices to Prajapati family return sans reply'

The notices served by the Uttar Pradesh Lok Ayukta to the family members of the state mining minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati have returned without a reply, a senior official said on Sunday. The notices were served while probing a complaint of an alleged disproportionate assets acquired by the minister.

"The notices, served to the official as well as at the personal residence of the family members of the minister, have returned without a reply," the official said.

Lok Ayukta N K Mehrotra had also served notices to two other state mining department officials. "Notices were served on Saturday to principal secretary (mining) and director (geology and mining), who have been asked to appear before Lok Ayukta on January 9 and 12, respectively," the official had said.

A complaint was filed, against the minister, with Lok Ayukta Mehrotra by Om Shankar Dwivedi on December 11, alleging he had amassed wealth, disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The Loka Yukta had said he would probe the matter on the basis of "whatever" documents he had before him.

It was also alleged in the complaint Prajapati's relatives including his wife, sons and daughter Ankita have bought immovable properties at the cost of Rs 340.49 crore and their current market value is over Rs 1,000 crore.

Prajapati had denied the allegations against him and had even offered to quit politics, if charges against him were found to be true.