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HC stays probe against Mulayam

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW MAY 7. The Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, got a reprieve today from the Allahabad High Court which granted a stay on the investigations and arrest in the cases registered in various districts of the State for alleged misuse by Mr. Yadav of the Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund during 1993-94 when he was in office.

The Lucknow bench of the High Court in its order said that the stay would remain effective till August 19 in all the 148 cases that had been registered so far.

Senior counsel, Ram Jethmalani, appearing on behalf of Mr. Yadav said that the cases had been registered eight years after Mr. Yadav ceased to be Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

This was enough to prove that the charges were mala fide and politically motivated. No substantial charges had been made against the former Chief Minister in any of the FIRs registered against him. The cases could not stand in court, he argued.

The investigations were likely to be affected by political considerations and there might be attempts to falsely implicate Mr. Yadav, his counsel feared.

Earlier, on April 21, the High Court had granted a stay till May 16 on the arrest of Mr. Yadav and other SP leaders in the case relating to unauthorised recording of the video CD of a meeting of the BSP and tampering with its contents.

PTI reports:

Later, reacting to the court order, the SP chief said, "I am feeling relieved... me and crores of my supporters are feeling relieved".

Asked whether the court ruling indicated that the cases against him were false, Mr. Yadav said, "the issue is sub judice. It is up to the court to uncover the truth". To another question he said he had no plans of filing any defamation suit.

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