The CBI on Friday registered a fresh Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against unknown officials of Jindal Steel and Power limited (JSPl) and unknown officials of Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for alleged collusion in diversion of ecologically-sensitive forest land in Jharkhand for mining purposes by the private firm during 2007 to 2013.
CBI sources said the PE has been registered for alleged irregularities in granting/ approval/ clearance for diversion of Saranda forest land for mining.
Sources said nearly 512.43 hectare of ecologically-sensitive Saranda forest in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district were diverted for Ghatkuri Iron Ore mining lease project in favour of JSPl. They said there were glaring irregularities in the allocation process as the Environment Ministry changed its position a number of times before it was allocated in 2013.
The PE was registered after the irregularities surfaced during the examination of documents seized during the searches conducted by the agency in connection with other FIRs registered against JSPl.
The agency has recently registered an FIR against the group in coal scam for alleged irregularities in the operations of Gare Palma IV/1 coal block allocated to JSPl.
Besides, the group has also been named in an earlier FIR in coal scam in which there were alleged irregularities in the allocation of Amarkonda Murga-dangal coal block in Jharkhand.