New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan for alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy and abuse of official position during her tenure. The probe agency has booked Ms. Natarajan, Minister of State for Environment and Forests in the UPA regime, Umang Kejriwal, former MD of Jharkhand-based Electosteel Casting Limited, the company and others under Sections 120-B of IPC and various provisions of Section 13 Prevention of Corruption Act,1988. In the FIR, registered on September 7, the CBI alleged that Ms. Natarajan had granted approval for diversion of 55.79 hectares of forest land for non-forestry use to the company, though the same had been rejected earlier by her predecessor. The company had made several representations right up to the then Prime Minister but its proposal had met with rejection. Following registration of the FIR, the CBI team today conducted raids at premises of the former Environment Minister at Chennai.
