Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday revealed that they have registered an First Information Report (FIR) against former Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan in connection with allegedly granting environment clearance for setting up industries in lieu of bribes.
CBI also conducted raids at the properties of Natarajan in Delhi and Chennai.
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 the minister of state for environment Jairam Ramesh but when Natarajan took the post, she allegedly cleared it.
Natarajan had quit the Congress in 2015 and accused party vice president Rahul Gandhi, of forcing her to stall projects by the Vedanta and Adani groups while making her a scapegoat for the UPA government’s economic woes.