When asked how her assets had swelled to Rs 52 crore, almost 30 times since she was an MP three years ago, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati couldn’t be more dismissive. It was all a “gift” from agitated workers of her Bahujan Samaj Party after the BJP government had framed her in the Taj corridor case, she said. “They (her party faithful) said you go and buy bungalows in Delhi and Lucknow which I did and now all this property is in the open and is listed with the Income Tax department.”

Records accessed by The Sunday Express show that Mayawati’s purchases of properties in the toniest residential and commercial addresses of the Capital span a period between 2004 and 2006 and amount to Rs 21.12 crore in cheque payments.

Significantly, her new shopping spree came just when the CBI finalized its case of disproportionate assets against her and informed the Supreme Court, in a 15-page report, that the value of her disproportionate assets was over Rs 28 crore. That file is now on the backburner and the CBI is yet to seek sanction for prosecution.

Records show:

• Her latest and most sprawling purchase was on July 21, 2006, when Mayawati paid Rs 17 crore and another Rs 1.02 crore in stamp and transfer duty to buy a 2194.4-square yard plot on 2, Sardar Patel Marg in Chanakyapuri.

The sale agreement was executed between Mayawati and Homender Arora, Director of M/s HMP Delhi Enclave Private Limited. Mayawati paid Rs 5 crore through cheque number 563141 (Bank of India, Parliament Street) on July 14, followed by another Rs 12 crore pay order (No: 062024) on July 17 on the same bank. This property was purchased by HMP from one Mrs Nagat Abedi for Rs 12.96 crore on May 11, 2004.

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