CBI may investigate former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav in illegal mining scam: Sources

Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may be investigated in an alleged illegal sand mining case, CBI sources indicated on Saturday after the investigating agency conducted raids at 14 places in connection with the alleged scam.

On Saturday, the CBI conducted raids at the residence of IAS officer B Chandrakala and other unknown officials in connection with the Hamirpur district's illegal mining cases, CBI sources said.

The CBI also conducted raids at the residences of BSP leader Satyadev Dikshit and SP MLC Ramesh Mishra in Hamirpur.

It has been alleged that government officials along with private individuals had allocated some illegal mining sites by flouting rules and regulations between the year 2012 and 2016. Mining rights were also given in violation of NGT orders.

All those who were ministers in that period will also be investigated, CBI sources said.

Yadav held the charge of mining ministry between 2012 to July 2013 and hence can come under scanner in the ongoing probe.

The CBI had initiated a probe in the alleged illegal mining case in 2016 on directions of the Allahabad High Court.

The cases of illegal mining were recorded from 7 districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Shamli, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Deoria, Saharanpur, Hamirpur and Siddharthnagar.

The CBI had registered FIR in the case on January 2 and today searches were conducted at 14 places including Kanpur, Lucknow, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Noida, Kanpur and Delhi.