UP: Man Accuses Yogi Adityanath’s Principal Secretary of Demanding Bribe, Detained For ‘Defaming Govt’

Abhishek Gupta was detained ahead of his press conference at Lucknow’s Press Club and booked for cheating and "defaming the state government and levelling false charges against UP government official SP Goel".

New Delhi, June 8: The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday detained a 23-year-old man for accusing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath‘s principal secretary of demanding a bribe of Rs 25 lakh for a piece of land needed to set up a petrol pump. Abhishek Gupta was detained ahead of his press conference at Lucknow’s Press Club and booked for cheating and “defaming the state government and levelling false charges against UP government official SP Goel”.

Lucknow’s senior superintendent of police Deepak Kumar confirmed the reports that Gupta was detained and said that he will be interrogated. He also said that the police have been trying to find facts into the matter. An FIR was registered at Hazratganj police station on Thursday night. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has also sought an investigation into the allegations made against the principal secretary. He has also asked chief secretary Rajive Kumar for the details.

The controversy came to the fore on Thursday night when Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik wrote to Yogi Adityanath informing him about the complaint made by Abhishek Gupta against his principal secretary SP Goel.

“Mr Gupta says that the principal secretary to chief minister, SP Goel, is demanding Rs 25 lakh to provide land for broadening of the main road and he is not able to set up the petrol pump due to delay in the decision on the representation. I am sending Mr Abhishek Gupta’s letter to you for appropriate action,” Ram Naik said in the letter.

The Governor further added that Abhishek Gupta informed him that he “proposed to set up petrol pump sanctioned by Essar Oil Limited in Resso village of Sandila tehsil, Hardoi” and “a representation given to provide necessary land is pending at the level of principal secretary to chief minister”.

Rubbishing the allegations, Goel said that he received the file only after Governor Naik’s letter to Yogi Adityanath. “I recused myself, did not deal with the case and informed the chief minister about the same,” the 1989 batch Indian Administratie Service (IAS) officer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.