New Delhi, Nov 16 - The Supreme Court has sought Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's stand on a lawsuit by a resident of the state's Badalpur village, who alleges that while his plot was acquired by the government, the plot owned by Mayawati in the same village was exempted.
A bench of Justice H.S. Bedi and Justice J.M. Panchal sought Mayawati's stand, issuing notice to her in her personal capacity and not as chief minister. Notices were issued early this month to Mayawati's father Prabhu Dayal and brother Anand as well.
On the lawsuit by Khazan Singh of Badalpur village in Gautam Budh Nagar -- an Uttar Pradesh district adjacent to national capital New Delhi -- notices were issued also to the state government, the Gautam Budh Nagar collector and the Greater Noida Development Authority, which had issued notification in June 2007 to acquire Singh's plot.
Singh has moved the apex court, challenging the September 2009 order of the Allahabad High Court, upholding the state government's land acquisition notification for the development of Greater Noida.
In his lawsuit challenging the notification, Singh has alleged that the government is out to grab his 0.6410 hectare (around 7,000 square metre) plot, while exempting Mayawati's land spread over 4,7433.36 square yards (39,369 square metre) where she is constructing a bungalow.
The high court had dismissed Singh's lawsuit after the state government and the Greater Noida Development Authority said the plot belonging to the chief minister and her relatives were for residential purposes and accordingly out of the ambit of the Land Acquisition Act.