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Taking serious note of indictment by the Lokayukta, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday dropped one of her ministers charged with graft.
Minister of state for Homeopathy and Religious Endowments Rajesh Tripathi was sacked unceremoniously after he was found guilty of committing large-scale irregularities by Lokayukta Justice NK Mehrotra.
A detailed report was submitted by the Lokayukta on a complaint made by Tripathi's estranged associate and activist Vijay Prakash Shukla. The complaint had accused the minister of not only land grabbing and pilfering of government funds through a non-government organisation floated by him, but also fleecing common people in Barhalganj. "Tripathi had imposed a private levy on every cremation carried out at the local cremation ground in Barhalganj," Shukla had stated in the complaint.
Interestingly, it was the creation of a proper cremation ground for which he was credited during the 2007 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh in which Tripathi defeated don-turned-politician Hari Shankar Tiwari.
Impressed by his sweep, Mayawati inducted Tripathi in her council of ministers. Taking undue advantage of his position, Tripathi went on a money-minting spree violating all rules and norms and ignoring his own supporters and constituents.
Eventually, his close associates raised the bugle of revolt against him and lodged a written complaint with the Lok Ayukta, who finally put him in the dock.
Yet another minister likely to come under Mayawati's firing line is secondary education minister Rang Nath Misra, who is also facing a probe by the Lokayukta.