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Prabhat Kumar has several skeletons in UP cupboard too

Controversial Jharkhand Governor Prabhat Kumar, who has put in his papers following his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal, is facing serious charges of corruption in his parent state of Uttar Pradesh as well.

Kumar had on Thursday night handed over his resignation as Jharkhand governor after being embroiled in a bribery scandal.

The charges against Kumar, a retired IAS officer of the UP cadre, were highlighted in a public interest litigation moved by his own IAS colleague S N Shukla.

The PIL, which will be heard by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on February five, seeks to revive several old cases against Kumar, who held several key positions in Uttar Pradesh.

The oldest case relates to the mid-sixties when Kumar was district magistrate of Fatehgarh. He was then accused of awarding arms licences to history-sheeters.

According to the petition, the initial complaint against Kumar was made by none other than the then Fatehgarh superintendent of police to the then chief minister Charan Singh.

However, before Charan Singh could take action, there was change of government after which Kumar managed to wriggle out of the situation.

However, the charges continue to remain on the file that Shukla has sought to be reopened.

As UP's home secretary in 1992, Kumar is also facing charges in the Babri masjid demolition case.

Another charge relates to a land scam in NOIDA, while Kumar was the Union cabinet secretary.

Kumar, the petition alleges, got a prized plot of land allotted in his wife's name in NOIDA. She was shown to be an 'entrepreneur' in the application form to justify the allotment.

Another case relates to the time Kumar was chairman of the UP State Textile Corporation when a vigilance probe was initiated against him by then vigilance secretary Bhure Lal.

However, according to the petitioner, 'the concerned file vanished mysteriously'.

As Union cabinet secretary, the petition accuses him of exonerating a UP cadre lady IAS officer who was convicted by a British court after being caught shoplifting in London's Mark's and Spencer's.

While his predecessor T S R Subramaniam refused to pardon the officer, and the then prime minister I K Gujral even recommended deterrent punishment, Kumar exonerated her soon after taking over as Union cabinet secretary.

Another accusation the petition makes is that Kumar secured immunity to members of his in-law's family when they were found to be involved in a major milk adulteration scam in Kanpur as late as in 2000.

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