Fresh trouble for Mayawati over sale of 21 sugar mills

New Delhi: Fresh trouble seems to be brewing for BSP supremo Mayawati as the CBI is preparing to convert its three preliminary enquires (PEs) into regular cases to probe the alleged irregularities in the sale of 21 state-owned sugar mills during her tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

Sources said the CBI has decided to examine at least three former senior UP bureaucrats as part of its investigation into the matter. “The agency is expected to covert its three PEs into regular cases”, a source said, adding the sale of mills during Ms Mayawati’s tenure in 2011-12 had allegedly led to a loss of Rs 1,179 crores to the state exchequer. The CBI has registered an FIR and six PEs to probe the alleged irregularities, he added.

The BJP state government under Yogi Adityanath had recommended a CBI probe in the matter on April 12 last year. The agency had not named as accused any official of the UP government or any state politician, sources said. Seven private persons, who had allegedly submitted forged documents during the purchase of the UP State Sugar Corporation Ltd mills, were booked, they said.

The state government sought a CBI investigation into the sale of the 21 sugar mills, and forgery and cheating in the purchase of seven closed mills in Deoria, Bareilly, Laxmi Ganj, Hardoi, Ramkola, Chittauni and Barabanki, sources said. The case was probed by Lucknow police. It is alleged the Mayawati government had sold 21 mills, including 10 operational ones, below market price, that led to a loss of Rs 1,179 crores, the sources said.

Ms Mayawati had recently denied the allegations and accused the Centre of misusing the CBI during elections. “The case pertaining to the sale of 21 state-owned sugar mills during my tenure as chief minister is being given a political colour”, she told the media. She said: “In this election, the BJP is misusing government institutions like the CBI, which has never happened earlier.”