New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has dismissed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's petition saying the Allahabad High Court can't hear the Taj Corridor case. The apex court on Monday declined to interfere in the case and said it finds no reason to interfere in the case now.
Mayawati's lawyer argued that the Opposition is trying to destabilize the state government over the issue to which the court commented, it's not concerned with the issue and does not intend to get into it.
After Mayawati's lawyer told the Supreme Court that similar petitions have been dismissed by the court earlier, the apex court said all issues can be raised before the High Court.
In her petition Mayawati has said that High Court can't entertain PIL in criminal cases. Only CBI is entitled to question Governor's decision, but it didn't challenge in September,
Lucknow Bench of the High Court issued notices to Mayawati and her Cabinet colleague Nasimuddin Siddique on a PIL questioning former governor TV Rajeswar's June 2007 denial of sanction to the CBI to prosecute them for their alleged role in corruption case.
The PIL was filed by Lucknow residents -- Kamlesh Verma, Anupama Singh and Qateel Ahmed -- before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The petition also questioned the court's 2007 order to the probe agency to seek the governor's sanction to prosecute Mayawati at a time when she was not a Chief Minister.
The ambitious 2002-03 Taj Heritage Corridor was to house a shopping mall close to the Taj Mahal, but the project was abandoned amid allegations of large-scale corruption and after a hue and cry that it would endanger the monument.