ABP News' Bribery Sting: The Yogi Adityanath government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the into alleged corruption charges levied against private secretaries of three Uttar Pradesh ministers after ABP News in a sensational sting operation on Wednesday caught the officials seeking bribe inside the secretariat building in Lucknow. The SIT will be headed by Rajiv Krishnan, ADG Lucknow Zone. Till then the three secretaries shall remain suspended as ordered by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister has also called a meeting with the SIT late evening at his residence.

Earlier on Wednesday, the State Government had ordered a probe against the officials based on the Sting operation carried out by ABP News. The Chief Secretary had sought a report on the matter by 11 am on Thursday.

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.

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.

Reacting to the revelation, the Bharatiya Janata Party had said that strict action will be taken against those caught in the bribery sting.  It said the party works on 'zero tolerance' on corruption and swift action will be taken against accused.

Another state minister Archana Pandey, whose private secretary was also caught in the sting operation, had said a probe will be ordered in the matter and action will be taken against the official if found guilty.

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