CBI summoned Akhilesh Yadav in UP illegal mining case, asked to appear as witness

NEW DELHI: Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been called upon by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to testify in cases related to illegal mining. The CBI, under section 160 of the CrPC, has issued a notice requiring Yadav to present himself for questioning on February 29. The case, which was registered in 2019, pertains to alleged breaches of the e-tendering process in the granting of mining leases, as ordered by the Allahabad High Court. 

The allegations suggest that unlawful mining activities occurred between 2012 and 2016, during Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister. It is claimed that licenses were unlawfully renewed despite a prohibition by the National Green Tribunal. The implicated officers are accused of facilitating mineral theft and extorting money from leaseholders and drivers. In response to these allegations, the CBI initiated seven preliminary inquiries in 2016, as directed by the Allahabad High Court, to investigate the illegal extraction of minor minerals. 

The CBI alleges that Yadav’s office approved 13 projects in a single day and sanctioned 14 leases in contravention of the e-tendering process. These leases were granted by B Chandrakala, the District Magistrate of Hamirpur, with the approval of the Chief Minister’s office, in violation of the 2012 e-tender policy.