PANJIM: Former Goa Principal Mines Secretary Rajeev Yaduvanshi, currently Health Secretary in the Delhi government, was questioned by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the illegal mining case on Friday.
Yaduvanshi was posted in Goa between 2006 and 2011, the period when the alleged illegal mining continued unabated and was exposed in the Justice M B Shah Commission report, based on which police complaints were filed.
Accused of unlawful condonation of delay, Yaduvanshi was grilled for over five hours by the police team led by SP Kartik Kashyap.
“Yaduvanshi was questioned in connection will the illegal condonation. The questioning will continue on Saturday and Monday,” Kashyap told the media emerging from the SIT office at Dona Paula.
Asked about the possibility of Yaduvanshi’s arrest considering that SIT has laid its hands on notings and other documents pointing at alleged illegalities, Kashyap said, “Nothing can be said at this moment.”
In the Justice Shah report, government official and politicians have been held responsible for allowing large scale illegal mining to continue despite being aware of the extent of illegalities.
The officer, sources said, was allegedly also aware of the illegal ore activities by Imran Khan, the power of attorney holder of a mining lease in Sanguem.
