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CBI summon Akhilesh Yadav as witness in 2019 mining case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued summons to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to appear before it on Thursday
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued summons to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to appear before it on Thursday as a “witness” in connection with a 2019 probe into alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.
The summons to the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister has been issued under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which allows investigators to record statements of witnesses or individuals familiar with details.
Yadav, however, linked the CBI summons to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying he had received a notice before the 2019 general elections as well. He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of targeting his party, which is their main challenger in the state in the upcoming polls.
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The federal agency had registered a case in January 2019 against 11 people, including UP cadre IAS officer B Chandrakala, Samajwadi Party leader Ramesh Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Dixit, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 assembly polls on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket, to probe alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district during 2012-16.
The agency was probing illegal mining in Shamli, Hamirpur, Saharanpur, Deoria, Fatehpur, Siddharth Nagar and Kaushambi districts as part of its seven Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) registered in 2017 on the order of Allahabad high court, of which three FIRs were registered in January 2019.
“The role of then mining ministers concerned during the relevant period may be looked into during the course of investigation of the case,” CBI’s FIR said.
The cases pertain to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of e-tendering process as mandated by the UP government in its May 31, 2012 order. It is alleged that government officials conspired with private persons and allowed illegal mining of minor minerals by granting fresh leases and renewing existing leases during 2012-16, the period when Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister.
As part of the conspiracy, the accused allowed excavation of minor minerals with a purpose of theft and to extort money from the lease holders as well as from the drives of the vehicles transporting the minor minerals – like stones, gravel, clay and sand which are considered government property according to the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) act of 1957.
CBI stated that all of this was being done despite a ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Reacting to the summons, Yadav, who was attending a TV news channel’s event, said: “Samajwadi Party is the only party taking on the BJP, which is why it’s on top of the list of targets. During the 2019 polls, I got a notice, and I have received a notice again ahead of the elections. So we know that when elections come, notice comes.”
