Ex-SP MLC Vasudev Yadav arrested in disproportionate assets case

Former Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC and ex-UP education director Vasudev Yadav was arrested by the Vigilance team in connection with a disproportionate assets case here on Tuesday.

The Varanasi Vigilance team, along with the police personnel of Georgetown police station here, reached Yadav’s residence in Tagore Town at around 1.30pm and arrested him before taking him to Varanasi.

Confirming the arrest, SHO of Georgetown police station Abhishek Singh said, “The Varanasi Vigilance team arrested Vasudev Yadav from his residence following the non-bailable warrant issued against him for not appearing in court in connection with a disproportionate assets case, and took him to Varanasi.”

The former SP MLC Vasudev Yadav has held important posts in the education department in many districts of the state including Prayagraj and Varanasi. He has been the director and secretary of the UP Board.

He is accused of opening teaching institutions and buying properties worth crores in the name of his wife and children, police said.

PIL filed against Yadav in 2014

A public interest litigation was filed for the first time against Vasudev Yadav in 2014 in a corruption case. Yadav landed in trouble after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 and several complaints of corruption emerged against him.

CM orders probe in 2017

In September 2017, an investigation was started against Vasudev Yadav on the instructions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

On September 12, 2017, the state government ordered a vigilance probe into Yadav’s assets. The vigilance conducted an investigation against him, examining his income, expenses and acquired movable and immovable properties between September 1, 1978 and March 31, 2014.

In the investigation, his income during the specified period was found to be around ₹89.42 lakh, while his expenses were found to be more than ₹1.86 crore. His total income was found to be about ₹97.34 lakh more than his income. After collecting evidence of amassing assets about 109% more than his total income, Vigilance sent its report to the state government and then sought the government’s permission to file a case against Yadav for possessing assets disproportionate to his income, shared Vigilance department officials.

Officials point out that Vasudev Yadav did not record his statement during the open investigation. After getting permission from the government, on April 6, 2021, inspector Sunil Kumar registered a case against Yadav in Prayagraj Vigilance police station under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He did not appear even after several notices were issued by the Vigilance court in Varanasi where the hearing of the case was underway. A non-bailable warrant was then issued following this.