CBI starts probe into UP sugar mills divestment scam

Lucknow, April 26 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case in the alleged sugar mills disinvestment scam in Uttar Pradesh during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mayawati, an official said on Friday.

The agency registered the FIR on Thursday to probe the alleged irregularities in the disinvestment of 21 sugar mills that included seven closed mills, the official said.

The FIR mentions that 11 sugar mills were sold out during 2010-11.

Mayawati was the Chief Minister of the state from 2007 to 2012.

It is alleged that forged documents were submitted by the purchaser of the seven closed sugar mills in Deoria, Bareilly, Laxmiganj, Hardoi, Ramkola, Chittauni and Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, as reported by the Serious Fraud Investigation Organisation (SFIO) during their investigation, said the CBI FIR.

The alleged irregularities were committed with a "criminal intent" in the entire sale proceedings of 21 sugar mills by the Uttar Pradesh Sugar Corporation Ltd, the FIR said.

The FIR named seven individuals on charges of cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, falsification of accounts and contravention of provisions of the Companies Act 1956.

Two of them, identified as Rakesh Sharma and his wife Suman Sharma, belong to Delhi's Rohini, while one Dharmendra Gupta hails from Indirapuram, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Four other private persons identified as Saurabh Mukund, Mohd. Javed, Mohd. Naseem Ahmed and Mohd. Vazjd are residents of Saharanpur district in the state.

The CBI has also registered six preliminary enquiries in connection with the case.

The FIR was registered based on a request made by state Principal Secretary (Home) on April 12, 2018, and a Central government notification dated February 22. The case was earlier registered by the state police on November 7, 2017 and the investigation was being done by Lucknow police.