LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has indicted secondary education minister Rangnath Mishra for graft and sought his removal in yet another blow to chief minister Mayawati-led BSP government.

Lokayukta N K Mehrotra inquiry's found that Mishra possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. He also found him in illegal possession of gram sabha land in his report sent to the chief minister.

The Lokayukta said he has recommended a case against the minister under the Prevention of Corruption Act and either a CBI or the vigilance department inquiry. Mehrotra said the minister's removal was sought as he could use his clout to scuttle the probe.

Mehrotra said he gave adequate time to the minister to answer a chargesheet that his office had issued following a complaint. He said Mishra failed to give a satisfactory reply.

Mishra was accused of amassing "unaccounted properties worth crores, disproportionate to his income, including tracts of land in UP, Uttarakhand and Mumbai". The Lokayukta did not look into his properties outside UP due to issues of jurisdiction and examined his properties that were undervalued in his hometown Bhadohi and Allahabad. The properties were valued Rs 5.75 crore by the current circle rate by the probe team .The minister could not explain the source of income.

"Though he claimed to have bought the property out of his income from agriculture and schools in hometown Bhadohi, this could not be supported by documentary evidence produced," the report said. "According to the income tax return filed by him, the income for years 2008 and 2009 was merely Rs 2.75 and Rs 3.75 lakh respectively, thus the explanation does not seem feasible," it noted.

Mishra is the third BSP minister to be indicted for corruption. Earlier, religious affairs minister Rajesh Tripathi and dairy development minister Awadhpal Singh Yadav were sacked after the Lokayukta found them guilty of corruption.

Inquiries are pending against three ministers -- Narayana Singh, Badshah Singh and Subhash Pandey.