ABP News Bribery Sting: Charges proved against secretaries of 3 UP ministers; charge-sheet filed

ABP News had exposed how the personal secretaries of the ministers were misusing their office to seek bribe. Following the sting, state government had immediately constituted an SIT to probe the matter.

Personal secretaries of three UP ministers were caught seeking bribe in ABP News' sting operation/ Image: ABP News' screengrab

New Delhi: In a major impact of ABP News’ bribery sting which caught personal secretaries of Uttar Pradesh ministers seeking bribe ‘red-handed’, the charges of corruption and bribery  have been proved against all the three men, in the probe by the Special Investigation Team. The secretaries who were caught ‘red-handed’ asking for money in exchange of getting work done, were those of UP Minister of State for Mining, Excise, and Prohibition Archana Pandey, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar and UP Minister of State for Education Sandeep Singh. The SIT which was constituted within 12 days of the expose, has completed its investigation and found the allegations against all three men to be true. A Charge-sheet has been filed against them. The audio and video of the sting operation have been confirmed in forensic laboratory as well. In January, the SIT set up by the Yogi government made swift arrests of all the three men exposed in the report. Speaking on the development, UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said: “corruption in any form can never be tolerated in Yogi government.” ABP News had exposed how the personal secretaries of the ministers were misusing their office to seek bribe. Following the sting, state government had immediately constituted an SIT to probe the matter. Earlier in the case, the state government has also ordered an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team and an FIR was lodged against Om Prakash Kashyap, SP Tripathi, and Santosh Awasthi by the administrative departments of the secretariat. In the sting operation, Om Prakash Kashyap, personal secretary of Backward Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar is purportedly seen seeking Rs 40 lakh for a transfer. Santosh Awasthi, the secretary to Sandeep Singh, was caught asking for 'appropriate share' in return for books' contract in UP schools, while SP Tripathi secretary to Archana Pandey was caught saying that in a mining contract in Saharanpur there is a possibility of 100 per cent loot.