The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued summons to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, in a 2019 probe into the alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

The agency has asked Yadav to appear before it on Thursday as a “witness”, officials said.

The summon has been issued under 160 of the CrPC (criminal procedure code), which is issued to record statements of witnesses or individuals familiar with details.

The federal agency had registered a case in January 2019 against 11 persons including UP cadre IAS officer B Chandrakala, then SP leader Ramesh Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Dixit (who fought 2017 state election on a BSP ticket) to probe alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district.

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The agency was probing illegal mining in UP’s Shamli, Hamirpur, Saharanpur, Deoria, Fatehpur, Siddharth Nagar and Kaushambi districts as part of its seven Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) registered in 2017 on the order of Allahabad high court out of which three FIRs were registered in January 2019.

CBI’s FIR stated, “The role of then mining ministers concerned during the relevant period may be looked into during the course of investigation of the case”.

It has been alleged that the state government officials conspired with private persons in the alleged illegal mining of minor minerals between 2012 and 2016 by granting fresh leases, renewing existing leases and permitting obstructed period to the existing lease holders, without following the e-tendering procedure as mandated by the UP government in its order dated May 31, 2012.

As part of the conspiracy, the accused persons allowed excavation of minor minerals with a purpose of theft and to extort money from the lease holders as well as from the drives of the vehicles transporting the minor minerals – like stones, gravel, clay and sand which are considered government property according to the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) act of 1957.

CBI stated that all of this was being done despite a ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).