Ready to probe Haryana forest scams: CBI tells SC

CHANDIGARH: The CBI has told the Supreme Court (SC) it was ready to probe multi-crore forestry scams in Haryana, which whistleblower IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi had unearthed between 2005 and 2010.
CBI (Chandigarh unit) SP Tarun Gauba said the probe agency was willing to take over the investigation, provided "the requisite legal requirements are complied with".
He had earlier urged the apex court to pass an order asking the CBI to take over investigation in an affidavit before the SC on October 10 after finding the issues Chaturvedi had raised worthy of independent probe. Chaturvedi had moved the SC seeking a CBI investigation into the scams including the multi-crore Jhajjar and Hisar plantation scams.
The CBI can probe such matters only if central and state governments issue notifications. The state government had not issued a notification despite Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) orders.
The state government has been opposing a CBI investigation, while the Centre has been supporting it.
Chaturvedi was transferred 12 times between 2005 and 2010 while two criminal cases were lodged against him after he exposed the irregularities.
A MoEF probe panel had in fact confirmed Chaturvedi was harassed for his attempts to save a wildlife sanctuary, stopping illegal expenditure, exposing large-scale financial irregularities in plantation and giving license to a plywood unit.
Chaturvedi had even approached the President alleging he was being harassed for exposing scams.