Sachin Pilot demands judicial inquiry into mines scam

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee President Sachin Pilot today demanded for a judicial inquiry into the scam involving the state's mining department.

Reacting to the recent arrest of senior IAS officer Ashok Singhvi by the state Anti Corruption Bureau in a bribery case involving clearance for reopening of six closed mines of a miner, Pilot said that the crime could not have committed without "patronage from government".

"It is not possible for an officer to run such a big scam without a patronage from the government. Kingpin of the scam must be exposed," he said.

The Congress leader also demanded that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's role should be probed as the arrested officer was said to be close to her.

A judicial inquiry in the matter headed by a sitting high court judge should be ordered, he said.

Eight persons, including the senior IAS officer and Principal Secretary of mines department Ashok Singhvi and two other officers of his department, were arrested by the ACB yesterday in connection with a bribery case involving Rs 2.55 crore.