CBI probing five Preliminary Enquiries regarding Jayanti Natarajan dodging environmental clearances

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing as many as five Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) regarding dodgy environmental clearances when Jayanti Natarajan was helming the environment ministry but she has not been questioned yet, the agency has confirmed.

Natarajan had written a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on November 5, 2014, protesting against her sidelining by the party, within a week of ET breaking the story on October 29 that CBI planned to question her regarding the two PEs lodged by the agency pertaining to decisions taken by her while heading the ministry.

The first PE was lodged by the CBI on October 24, 2014, against officials of Jindal Power & Steel Ltd ( JSPL) and unknown government officials of the environment ministry for alleged irregularities in granting approval and permission for diversion of forest land for mining in Saranda forests in 2013.

The investigation agency lodged another PE on October 28, 2014, against officials of JSW Steel Ltd and unknown officials of the ministry of environment and forest. "Three more PEs were registered subsequently.

One of them includes clearance granted to an iron ore lease of Rungta Mines when Natarajan was the minister for environment and forests. "She will be quizzed soon," a senior CBI official told ET.