UP Invest CEO suspended over allegations of corruption

Lucknow, Mar 20 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday suspended senior IAS officer and Invest UP Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Prakash over allegations of irregularities and corruption in approval of a project by an investor, officials here said.
     An alleged middleman, Nikant Jain, involved in the case was also arrested on Thursday, they said.
     Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer, was suspended after an investor in the solar industry lodged a complaint alleging that Jain demanded a commission to facilitate approvals for projects.
    Jain was arrested on Thursday.
    Later in the day, the government said in a statement UP Invest CEO Prakash was suspended.
    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 units 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 per cent 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.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)