New Delhi [India], February 28 (HBTV): The Central Investigation Agency (CBI) has asked former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to appear before the agency in a case related to sand mining. 

According to the sources, the CBI in a High Court-referred case related to sand mining has asked Yadav to join the investigation as a witness before the CBI in Delhi on February 29.       

The former chief minister has been summoned in connection with the CBI FIR lodged in January 2019, which is related to alleged illegal mining in Hamirpur between 2012 and 2016.

In January 2019, an FIR was registered against several public servants, including the then-district magistrate, mining officer, and others. It is alleged in the FIR that government employees allowed illegal mining of minerals in Hamirpur.     

Akhilesh Yadav was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017 and held the mining portfolio during 2012-13.  

The CBI in its FIR had alleged that people were allowed to excavate minor minerals illegally, commit theft of the minor minerals, and extort money from leaseholders as well as from drivers of the vehicles transporting minor minerals.   

On Wednesday, the Samajwadi Party chief came out hard against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing it of being nervous about the INDIA bloc and breaking other parties. Yadav has also vowed action against seven rebel MLAs who cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. 

In the Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP won eight of the 10 seats that went to the polls while the SP won two seats. The contest was affected after the BJP put up an eighth candidate in former Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth who emerged victorious after seven SP MLAs cross-voted.

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for brevity and clarity.