Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has called the suspension of a senior IAS officer for alleged irregularities in solar projects merely a “drama”, and claimed that the “last stop of this corruption is not the officer, but someone else”.
Yadav’s remarks followed the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to suspend senior IAS officer and the chief executive officer (CEO) of ‘Invest UP’, Abhishek Prakash, over complaints of corruption and irregularities.
An alleged middleman, Nikant Jain, has been arrested in connection with the case.
The government said in a statement that further disciplinary proceedings have been
instituted against Prakash.
The suspension order said, “Abhishek Prakash, Secretary, Establishment and Industrial Development Department, UP Government and Chief Executive Officer, Invest UP, have been found guilty prima facie for the irregularities in the case. His act is a violation of Rule-3 of All India Services (Conduct) Rules-1968.
“Therefore, after due consideration of the above facts and circumstances, Governor suspends Prakash, IAS, with immediate effect,” it said.
The governor also ordered to institute disciplinary proceedings against him for the purpose of giving “major punishment under Rule-8 of the said Rules”.
Invest UP is the state’s investment promotion agency, aiming to attract and facilitate investments. Prakash was serving as its CEO.
Jain was arrested for allegedly demanding money from an entrepreneur for clearing his proposal with the help of Invest UP functionaries, officials said.
Nikant Jain (40), son of the late Sudhir Kumar Jain, was arrested near Shahid Path, Husadiya Chowki in Gomti Nagar, police said. He was held after an FIR was registered against him following a formal complaint.
The FIR was registered under BNS Section 308 (5) (extortion) and Sections 7, 12, and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Jain has a permanent address in Meerut. In Lucknow, he lives in Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar.
According to FIR, an industrial group had applied for setting up a solar manufacturing unit in the state through Invest UP.
The case was reviewed by an evaluation committee, after which a senior Invest UP official directed the applicant to contact Jain.
Jain allegedly demanded a 5 percent commission (bribe) to facilitate approvals from the Empowered Committee and the state cabinet pressuring the applicant to pay an advance, according to the case details.
When the applicant refused to comply, Jain allegedly told him the project would not move forward without his involvement, suggesting bureaucratic hurdles were deliberately created to extract bribes, the FIR stated.
Police records indicate Jain has a history of fraud and financial crimes and a number of cases are pending against him in Meerut, Lucknow, and Etah.
Authorities are investigating Jain’s potential involvement in other fraudulent activities.
According to an official statement, the Uttar Pradesh government has reiterated its “zero tolerance” policy on corruption, vowing strict action against any official or individual exploiting investors.
The state is committed to fostering a transparent and fair industrial environment, ensuring that genuine projects proceed without obstruction, it said.
Investigations are ongoing to identify officials or individuals involved with Jain, police said.
The government assured that the complainant’s investment project will be approved without unnecessary delays, reinforcing its commitment to a corruption-free investment ecosystem.
