LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's one-time close aide P.L. Punia, who is now a Congress MP, has landed in the economic offences net in a 20-year-old scam.
In a late evening move, the Mayawati government Friday directed its Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to probe Punia's role in giving away loans worth crores to fictitious and non-existent companies and individuals during his stint as managing director of Uttar Pradesh's Pradeshik Industrial and Investment Corporation (PICUP), about two decades ago.
On Thursday, the state government procured formal permission of a local court to reopen the case against Punia, who had allegedly got the case closed with all the influence that he once commanded under successive regimes.
A retired IAS officer, Punia had the distinction of enjoying close proximity to sworn political adversaries - Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. He remained principal secretary to both during their respective stints as chief minister.