Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot Sunday dragged former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje into the alleged mining scam in Rajasthan, saying arrested IAS officer Ashok Singhvi benefiting Vedanta was part of the modus operandi of the “Raje-Singhvi-Modi trinity”. Reacting to a report in The Indian Express on Sunday, Gehlot dared the Raje government to probe the scam now that she was in power. The Indian Express had reported that a probe by the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau had recommended an FIR against Singhvi after it found that the officer had benefited Vedanta group’s Hindustan Zinc Ltd in 2008, causing a loss of over Rs 600 crore to the state government. [related-post] “The scam was executed under the Raje government and shows the general modus operandi of the trinity of Raje-Singhvi-Lalit Modi — whereby Singhvi would cancel mining leases and then restore them after striking deals with affected parties. This (Vedanta-HZL issue) is just one scam that has come to light with Singhvi’s arrest. If probed properly, several such scams would come out,” Gehlot told The Indian Express. Asked why his government did not act on the ACB report, Gehlot said he was not aware of the report. “I was not aware of this report. It was done at the ACB level and did not reach me. The decision to change the recommendation of FIR to Departmental Enquiry was also done by the ACB,” he said. “But if the Raje government thinks we did not act on it, what is stopping them from reopening the case?” Gehlot said Singhvi did not head the mining department under his government and had opted for Central deputation shortly after a change of government. He was brought back to Rajasthan in the role of Principal Secretary by the Raje government recently, said the former chief minister. “Raje has made it a habit to involve the former chief minister. Why does she not come forward and explain this entire matter to the people herself?” Gehlot asked.
