New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has contested Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s charge that the agency had acted ‘under political pressure’ against her in the disproportionate assets case.

In its affidavit before the Supreme Court bench of Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar Friday, the investigating agency has strongly denied that it was ‘illegally and under political pressure’ keeping alive and pending the disproportionate assets case against the chief Minister.

The matter will come up for hearing on Monday.

The CBI denied that the investigation into the allegation of acquisition of disproportionate assets by the chief minister was illegal, and noted that the FIR in the matter was registered on the directions of the apex court.

The court was told that various status reports were filed before it and the validity of the FIR in the DA case was upheld by the Allahabad High Court by its order dated Oct 22, 2003.

The investigating agency told the Court that the case against Mayawati and others was distinctly separate from the Taj Corridor case. It said that the outcome of the Taj Corridor case had no bearing on the assets case against Mayawati.