The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a first information report to probe alleged irregularities in the disinvestment of 21 state-owned sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh in 2010-’11 when Mayawati was chief minister, Hindustan Times reported, quoting agency officials and the FIR.

A 2013 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which formed the basis of the case, said the alleged irregularities led to a loss of Rs 1,179 crore to the state exchequer. The Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state led by Chief Minister Adityanath had recommended a CBI inquiry in the case on April 12 last year.

The agency also registered six preliminary enquiries. The CBI has not named any official of the Uttar Pradesh government or any politician of the state as accused in the FIR, unidentified officials told IANS.

However, seven people who allegedly submitted forged documents for the purchase of the mills have been charged with forgery, cheating and for providing false evidence under Section 629(A) of the Companies Act, the FIR said. The mills were run by the Uttar Pradesh State Sugar Corporation Limited.

The FIR said 11 sugar mills were sold during 2010-’11, according to PTI. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati was the chief minister from 2007 to 2012.

It said the purchaser of seven closed mills submitted forged documents. 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 first information report was registered based on a request made by the state’s principal secretary (Home) on April 12, 2018 and a central government notification dated February 22. The Uttar Pradesh police had registered a case in November 2017 against two companies which had bought the mills. The Lucknow Police had investigated the case then.

The Uttar Pradesh government, while seeking a CBI probe, alleged that the Mayawati government had sold the 21 mills, of which 10 were operational, at prices much lower than the market prices. An unidentified CBI official said the sugar mills were built on over 500 hectares of land worth Rs 2,000 crore at current prices.

Bahujan Samaj Party National General Secretary Ramachal Rajbhar said the BJP government was misusing federal agencies to harass leaders of opposition parties. “The people will give befitting reply to the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha election,” he said, according to Hindustan Times. The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party have forged an alliance for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to take on the BJP.