by Kajari Bhattacharya, The StatesmanNEW DELHI/LUCKNOW, July 10: Hours after the CBI today told the SupremeCourt that it had "sufficient" evidence to prosecute Uttar Pradeshchief minister Miss Mayawati in a disproportionate assets caseregistered against her five years ago, balls of retaliatory actionstarted rolling in Lucknow. In the first action of its kind takenagainst a state's chief information commissioner (CIC) anywhere in thecountry, UP Governor TV Rajeswar put UP CIC Justice (Retd) Mr MA Khanunder suspension and prohibited him from attending office for allegedcorruption, misconduct and irregularities in appointing employees.Justice (Retd) Mr Khan was a Mulayam Singh Yadav appointee.The CBI filed an affidavit in the SC saying it will shortly file achargesheet in a disproportionate assets case registered against theBSP supremo in 2003. It said there was ample evidence to show thatMiss Mayawati had amassed wealth disproportionate to her known sourcesof income while responding to a notice issued to it on a petitionfiled by her. The UP CM was seeking quashing of criminal proceedingsagainst her in the case which she alleged was politically motivated.In Lucknow, a highly-placed source said: "We have sent a reference tothe SC, which will form a committee to inquire into the allegationsand then decide if Justice (Retd) MA Khan will be removed fromoffice." The source added: "The allegations have been confined tomisconduct and irregularities in hiring employees. We do not want tolevel allegations of misappropriation of funds, as these undermine aConstitutional authority, which a CIC is." He said that in spite ofthe fact that the CIC was not supposed to make appointments directly,Justice (Retd) allegedly Mr Khan had done so, flouting recruitmentrules. "There were no advertisements, no tests." Other informationcommissioners were also critical of the CIC....
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