The Supreme Court on Monday granted time to the UP government to file its response to the CBI’s counter-affidavit in disproportionate assets case against the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. In its response to the apex court, the premier investigating agency had accused the chief minister for causing delay in filing its chargesheet in the DA case against her.

Acceding to the request by the counsel for state of UP, the bench head by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan adjourned the hearing into the case for six weeks, what the CM view as a political witch-hunt against her by the ruling Congress party.

Only last week, the CBI had blamed the UP CM of being responsible for the delay in filing its chargesheet in the assets case and also for making "baseless" charges of harassment and humiliation.

Filing its 12-page affidavit, the CBI had informed the apex court that it had completed its probe in the DA case against the BSP supremo and her relatives. However, the dalit leader was indulging in making allegations and thus, causing delay in concluding the investigation against her.

"...it is the petitioner, who does not want conclusion of the investigation and at the same time is baselessly alleging harassment and humiliation due to ongoing probe. The so-called delay in conclusion of the probe of the case has been caused by the petitioner herself," stated the counter affidavit by the CBI filed before the Court.

Seeking time to file its reply to the CBI’s statements, the State sought time from the bench today as the matter came up for hearing. The CBI, which had lodged a DA case against the BSP chief in 2003, alleged that the assets shown by her in the Akbarpur Parliamentary constituency were worth over Rs 1 crore whereas the assets increased to over Rs 50 crore in her declaration papers submitted during the 2007 Assembly Polls.

... contd.