Orissa HC issues notices to CBI, state, centre on mining scam

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the CBI, the state government and the Centre asking them to file counters to a Public Interest Litigation [PIL] filed by a Berhampur-based activist, Subrat Chandra Tripathy on the alleged multi-crore mining scam in Keonjhar district.

Adjudicating on the PIL, the bench of acting Chief Justice I M Quddusi and Justice Sanju Panda has issued notices to the CBI, the state government and the Centre to file counters.

The PIL said the vigilance enquiry ordered into the alleged scam will not reach a logical conclusion and appealed to the court to order a CBI probe into illegal mining leases to manganese mines in the district.

Opposition parties in Orissa have been demanding a CBI enquiry into the alleged scam.

The matter will be heard on October 14.