January 6, 2019:

The incident came to light after a Hindi television news channel conducted a sting operation.

Three UP ministers’ personal secretaries, who were booked on corruption charges after they were caught on camera, purportedly ready to accept bribe, were sent to prison on Saturday following investigation by a special investigation team.

Confirming the development, ADG Lucknow Zone Rajeev Krishna, who was heading the SIT, said, “The accused Ram Naresh Tripathi, Om Prakash Kashyap & Santosh Awasthi were booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. They were sent to jail after the charges against them were found to be true in our investigation.”

The incident came to light after a Hindi television news channel conducted a sting operation.

IG, Special Task Force & a senior officer of the vigilance establishment were members of the SIT, while special secretary, information technology, Rakesh Verma, assisted in the probe. Reportedly, three FIRs were registered against the personal secretaries at the Hazratganj police station on December 27 night.

Earlier that day, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered the formation of a special investigation team to probe the allegations levelled against them.

The station house officer of Hazratganj police station, Radha Raman Singh said the FIRs were lodged on the complaint of the deputy secretary of the secretariat administration, Pancham Ram. “Ram Naresh Tripathi, Om Prakash Kashyap & Santosh Awasthi were booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act,” he said. Tripathi was the personal secretary of Archana Pandey, Kashyap was the personal secretary of OP Rajhbhar & Awasthi was the personal secretary of Sandeep Singh.

Earlier, an official statement by the state government had said that Yogi Adityanath had taken note of the sting operation & ordered the formation of an SIT to probe the allegations. The CM had also ordered strict action to be taken in the case.

The CM also directed the secretariat administration department to probe all cases in which complaints of illegal activities by the secretariat staff had been received. “The CM has said that the state government would follow zero-tolerance policy against corruption & work with transparency. Strict action will be taken on complaints regarding corruption by government officers,” an official spokesman said.

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