What has added to Mayawati’s troubles is Mulayam’s reported decision to turn the officials named as approvers in the case. Of them, Punia is said to have been willing. The officers named by Mayawati have been interrogated by the CBI and all of them without exception have taken the view that the decision was approved by the then CM herself. On September 11, after the cbi submitted its two-volume report to the apex court, it directed the investigating agency to submit a report within a week on the assets of "four persons" allegedly involved in the scam—"go after the trail of Rs 17 crore released for the construction of the project and find out as to where it had gone, how it has been spent and who have benefited from it". The signatory to this crucial order was Sharma who has been thoroughly questioned by the cbi and is a key witness in the case.
By Sailesh Mishra
