Lucknow: Former managing director of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited AP Mishra was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the investment of over Rs 2,600 crore of the state power employees' provident fund in the scam-hit DHFL.
His arrest came days after the state government recommended a CBI probe into the matter and Adityanath directed the director general of the economic offences wing to investigate the case till the CBI took over the matter.
"Mishra has been arrested. The economic offences wing of the state police is probing the matter and strict action will be taken against those involved in this case," Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh told PTI.
An official spokesman said Mishra, who was close to former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and known as "arab pati Mishra", was "sacked" from his post on March 24, 2017, after the Yogi Adityanath government came to power.
"Apprehending his termination, Mishra took away many important files. He was the first engineer to be promoted as the MD of the UPPCL and was given extension thrice by Akhilesh after his retirement," he said, alleging that Mishra had sought the Samajwadi Party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls and was involved in various scams during the previous regime.
Reacting to the allegations, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav held Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responsible for the transfer of the employees' provident fund to scam-hit Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited and demanded his resignation. At a hurriedly convened press conference here, the former CM trashed the allegations that the EPF was transferred to the DHFL during his regime and demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge.
"No EPF money of power employees was transferred to the DHFL during the previous SP regime," he asserted.
The state government had on Sunday claimed that the "dubious" decision was taken by the previous Samajwadi Party government headed by Akhilesh Yadav in April 2014 and the process of investment was further carried forward in 2016.
"Adityanath should step down. The CM is so weak that he cannot even ask state power minister Shrikant Sharma to resign," Yadav said.
The SP chief claimed, "The government is afraid and hiding the truth. There is infighting within the government...over 300 MLAs (of BJP) do not like the CM".
Terming the present regime "nathuram raj", Yadav claimed that in his tenure, maximum power was generated in the state whereas consumers were now paying high power bills.
"No new transmission line was started in this regime. The present government is ruining the power department," he alleged.
