Petition in HC seeks probe into Vedanta mining lease case

A petition moved in the Rajasthan High Court, on Monday, has sought court’s intervention to initiate investigation in a case registered in the year 2015 against Vedanta Group, one of India’s top mining conglomerates. The petition alleged that mines to the group were allotted against rules and claimed that the said mines could only be allotted to a public undertaking resulting in loss to government exchequer. The petition states that although the matter came to light in 2011, an FIR was not registered till 2015 and the investigation on the FIR has not been started till date.

Senior advocate AK Jain moved the petition in the High Court on Monday. The issue pertains to mining of rock phosphate in the state, a mineral, the mining of which according to the petition, can be allotted to government companies or corporations. “Hindustan Zinc was given the lease of 247.96 hectare for rock phosphate mining, which was renewed in 1992. However, in 2002, the disinvestment process was initiated for Hindustan Zinc,” Jain told DNA.

The petition states that after Vedanta took over Hindustan Zinc, a writ petition was filed in the High Court. “On 23.10.2009, deputy government advocate submitted to the court that as per telephonic talks with the then mining secretary, Ashok Singhvi, government is inclined to revoke the order of cancellation of mining lease and is ready to restore the same to Hindustan Zinc Limited. Though everyone was aware that mining lease for rock phosphate cannot be given to a private company, and it can only be given to a government company and thereby categorically and illegally benefitted Vedanta Group to the tune of six hundred crore rupees,” the petition reads.

According to the plea, in 2011, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) came to know of the matter. “Mahendra Harsana examined the matter and made a report for preliminary enquiry. The enquiry was completed in August 2011 and a recommendation to register a FIR was made. However, no FIR was registered till after four years ie 2015,” Jain said.

In September 2015, Jain reportedly came to know about the matter and moved an application after which an FIR was registered. “From September 2015, till now, no investigation has been made. Through the petition we have sought that the High Court either forms an SIT in the matter or gets the investigation conducted by itself,” Jain said.