Rajasthan ACB files case against officials for 'allowing' illegal mining

Jaipur, Jan 13 (IANS) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Rajasthan, has registered a case against officials of the Mining (Mineral) Department, crusher owners, and royalty contractors for allegedly causing massive revenue loss to the state government by fraudulently portraying illegal mining as legal.

The case has been registered following a preliminary investigation conducted by the ACB Outpost, Bharatpur Unit, under the directions of ACB Headquarters, Jaipur. The action was initiated after the Bureau received a complaint alleging large-scale irregularities in mining operations in the Bharatpur region.

According to the complaint, officials and employees of the Mining Department, Bharatpur, in connivance with private crusher owners and royalty contractors, were misusing permits issued for closed or non-operational mines to facilitate illegal mining activities. These permits were allegedly used to transport and process illegally extracted minerals while falsely showing them as legally mined, thereby evading royalty and other government dues.

During the preliminary inquiry, the ACB found prima facie evidence indicating the involvement of several public servants and private entities in the illegal activities.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ACB said, "The accused include Ramniwas Mangal, then Mining Engineer, Bharatpur, and currently posted as Mining Engineer, Kota; Virendra Kumar, Mining Supervisor-II; Rajendra Singh, then Mining Engineer; Sanju Singh, then Surveyor; and Bhim Singh, then Supervisor-I. In addition to departmental officials, the inquiry also found the involvement of lease owner Abhishek Tanwar, crusher owner JP & Brass, M/s Paras Infra, M/s CDS Infra, M/s Balaji & Company, Shubh Labh Stone Crusher, and royalty contractor M/s Dev Dashrath, along with other associated persons."

The investigation revealed that the accused, acting in collusion, carried out illegal mining on a large scale, involving the extraction of millions of tonnes of mineral resources. By misusing permits and falsifying records, the illegally mined material was shown as legal, resulting in substantial financial loss to the state exchequer.

The acts of omission and commission by Mining Department officials and private parties point towards abuse of official position and criminal conspiracy, said the ACB statement.

On the basis of the findings of the preliminary investigation, the ACB has registered a case under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the full extent of the illegal mining, quantify the revenue loss, identify additional beneficiaries, and take strict legal action against all persons found involved in the case, said the statement.