While the two senior officer of the Mining Department who were summoned by the lokayukta Justice (retd), NK Mehrotra, did not turned up to record their statement, the Income Tax Department dispatched a report pointing that both the sons of mining minister, Gyatri Prajapati, were having Permanent Account Number (PAN)in their companies name, minister’s wife is having PAN issued on Sahsaram’s address in Bihar. However, the two drivers, Raja Ram and Ram Sahai, in whose name the minister allegedly purchased property and have wealth, were having no PAN cards.
Sources said that the IT Department in it’s report to lokayukta, confirmed that both the minister’s sons were having their PAN cards issued in their companies name so any details regarding their income or business transaction could be procured from IT Department, Kanpur circle. Similarly, Prajapati’s wife is having her PAN issued in her address of Bihar, so IT Commissioner Bihar/Jharkhand, would provide her details. Mehrotra, now reportedly dispatched letter regarding the above to get full details of their transactions.
Reports further said that than district mining officer of Sonebhadra, AK Singh, and senior survey officer, DK Sharma, who did not turned up on last Friday, again not appeared before lokayukta, on Monday, citing health reasons. Now, Mehrotra had summoned them on February 19 and had also directed that in case they could not make personal appearance, they should gave their replies regarding allegations made on them, in writing, otherwise he would proceed further with the action against them.
It may be mentioned that present senior survery officer of Sonebhadra, confirmed the role of above officers in mining and also revealed that illegal mining in the district has been done in the knowledge of Gyatri Prajapati. He also disclosed that the extortion has been made in the name of `VIP’, the code word for `extortion’.
Ram Nath Yadav, who appeared before Mehrotra and recorded his statement on the illegal mining issue on last Tuesday afternoon reportedly disclosed on record that before he joined in Sonebhadra, illegal mining was rampant in the district with about 400 trucks illegal transporting minerals per day in the district, resulting into loss of over Rs 2 crore per month. At that time district mining officer of Sonebhadra was AK Singh and senior survey officer (mining) was DK Sharma, he added. He said that the code word for extortion is `VIP’.
Yadav further disclosed that the `VIP’ was collected by a well organised syndicate comprising of politicians, journalists, officials, transporters, police etc. Sources further confirmed that Yadav even admitted that Gyatri Prajapati and other senior officers were aware of the above syndicate. ``Mining minister, Gyatri Prajapati had held a meeting at mining directorate in which I informed them about the above illegal mining and also of the said syndicate”, disclosed Yadav in his reply to Mehrotra, adding that all the other senior officers were also present in that meeting.
However, he claimed that once he took the charge, all the above illegal operations has been stopped. Interestingly, he also disclosed that Amrendra Singh, a close aide of Gyatri Prajapati, also visited Sonebhadra but remained silent on the purpose of his visit.