While a verdict on the PIls seeking a CBI inquiry into the multi-crore mining scam in Odisha that was kept reserved since April 2011 has now become in fructuous in the event that the judge who heard the cases has since been elevated to the Supreme Court, one of the petitioners on Monday filed a fresh PIl reiterating the plea for a CBI probe.
Rini Rath in her petition has also questioned the sincerity of the ongoing probe conducted by the Vigilance wing of the State police. Alleging that looting of the mines is continuing unabated even now, she has urged the High Court to call for the records of investigations conducted so far by Vigilance sleuths.
At least seven PIlS had been filed in the HC in the year 2010, all seeking CBI inquiry into the mining scam where it was alleged that mine owners have excavated minerals indiscriminately, thereby swindling ores to the tune of over Rs 500 crore.
A Division Bench of the then Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice BN Mohapatra had tagged only four of the PIls and conducted analogous hearing for about a year. Completing the hearings on April 18, 2011, the Bench kept the judgement reserved. The verdict has not, however, sees the light of the day till date while Justice Gopala Gowda has since been elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in December 2012.