CHENNAI: The CBI today carried out searches at the premises of former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan after registering an FIR against her in connection with clearance given during her tenure for diversion of forest land for mining in alleged violation of laws.
The case pertains to clearance given for diversion of forest land in Saranda Forest, Singhbhum District in Jharkhand to mining company Electrosteel in alleged violation of Forest (Conservation Act) in 2012.
The permission was rejected by the Minister of State for Environment Jairam Ramesh but when Natarajan took the post, she allegedly cleared it.
"Jayanthi Natarajan, the then Minister of State for Environment and Forests accorded the approval for diversion of 55.79 hectares of forest land for non-forestry use to ECL, though the same had been rejected by the earlier Minister of State...without any change in the circumstances after rejection," the CBI FIR alleged.
It said this approval had been accorded without adhering to the advice of Director General Forests and directions of Supreme Court in this regard.
CBI has filed an FIR against Jayanthi Natarajan under sec 120B PC Act, abuse of official position and criminal conspiracy.
The agency has also filed an FIR against Electrosteel Casting Ltd and others under section 120B PC Act.
The raids were conducted at multiple places which include Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Ranchi and Odisha's Sundergarh in connection with the case.
The CBI has not yet disclosed the details of the allegations against Natarajan.
Jayanthi Natarajan had served as the head of the environment ministry in the UPA regime after the tenure of Jairam Ramesh.
Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the Congress Party in January 2015. She had then made public a letter she wrote in November 2014 to the Congress party president Sonia Gandhi. The letter detailed the humiliation she felt in December 2013, when she was told to resign from the council of ministers.
(With inputs from agencies)