CHENNAI: The Income Tax department joined the Central Bureau of Investigation in conducting searches at the Chennai residence of former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan in connection with the clearance given during her tenure for diversion of forest land for mining in alleged violation of laws.
An Income Tax official confirmed that a team from the Directorate-General of Income Tax (Investigation) had joined CBI in conducting the searches. This comes in the wake of CBI filing an FIR against the former minister under 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case pertains to clearance given for diversion of forest land in Saranda Forest, Singhbhum district in Jharkhand to a mining company Electrosteel in alleged violation of Forest (Conservation) Act in 2012. The permission was rejected by Natarajan’s predecessor Jairam Ramesh, but when she took over, she allegedly cleared it.