New Delhi: In a big relief for BSP supremo Mayawati, the Supreme Court on Friday quashed the FIR filed against her by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the disproportionate assets case.

The apex court said that the CBI couldn’t proceed with criminal proceedings against Mayawati as there is a lack of material evidence against her.

Importantly, the CBI had said there was "ample evidence" to show that she had amassed wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income. However, she had claimed that she had received the money as donations from party workers.

Mayawati had filed a petition in May 2008 seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against her in the DA case, lodged by the CBI over eight years ago. She had alleged it was an act of political vendetta against her.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had accused the CBI of "fixing" the DA case against her, a charge refuted by the agency. Mayawati had said the bench should direct the CBI to consider the aspect of order passed by the Income Tax Tribunal holding that her income was genuine and the order had also been upheld by the Delhi High Court.

Questioning Mayawati's assets, the CBI had said her declared assets of Rs one crore in 2003 had gone up to Rs 50 crore in 2007.

The CBI, in its last affidavit filed on September 13, 2011, had alleged there was a "criminal nexus" between Mayawati and her relatives and the disproportionate assets case against her cannot be closed on the basis of conclusions arrived at by the Income Tax Department.

The agency had rejected Mayawati's stand that the DA case should come to an end after the income tax authorities accepted her income tax assessments.