The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has called upon Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav to provide testimony on Thursday regarding a case concerning illegal mining operations in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district.
Under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the CBI issued a summons directing Akhilesh Yadav to appear before the federal agency in Delhi for questioning on Thursday. This summons is linked to an FIR filed against illegal mining activities spanning from 2012 to 2016 in Hamirpur.
The FIR encompasses charges of criminal conspiracy, theft, extortion, cheating, attempted offenses, and misconduct. It identifies 11 individuals along with unspecified public servants allegedly complicit in permitting the unauthorized extraction of minor minerals in Hamirpur, causing financial losses to the state treasury and exploiting their official positions for personal gain.
According to the FIR, an investigation uncovered collusion among government officials who unlawfully awarded new leases extended existing ones, and allowed periods of obstruction for current leaseholders without adhering to proper tendering protocols.
Furthermore, the FIR alleges that individuals were permitted to unlawfully extract minor minerals, engage in theft, and extort money from leaseholders and vehicle operators transporting said minerals.
In July 2016, the Allahabad High Court mandated a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining activities in Hamirpur, expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of action taken to address the issue. The court emphasized the importance of safeguarding natural resources from rampant exploitation, underscoring the imperative for stringent measures against such unlawful practices.
The High Court's directive called for an investigation into whether state authorities were complicit in facilitating illegal mining activities. Subsequently, the CBI initiated an FIR in January 2019, marking a significant step in addressing the longstanding issue of illegal mining in Hamirpur.
