LUCKNOW: The Enforcement Directorate Lucknow unit on Thursday registered money laundering case against IAS officer B Chandrakala and others in connection with the illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district during 2012-16. ED will investigate the case under PMLA and the case is based on a CBI FIR to probe. Chandrakala, who is on study leave, is one the most talked about officers on social media because of her purported anti-corruption drive videos on various platforms.

It is alleged that Chandrakala in criminal conspiracy with other officials illegally granted fresh leases, renewed existing ones and permitted obstructed period to the existing leaseholders in violation of the E-tendering process initiated by the government. According to the CBI agency, FIR  accused her and other suspects of allegedly allowing illegal mining, extortion from the leaseholders and drivers of the vehicles transporting minerals.

Her social media videos lashing out at government officials earned her a title of 'Lady Dabang' (daring). A UP cadre IAS officer of the 2008-batch, Chandrakala was the district magistrate of Hamirpur during 2012-14 when she allegedly violated e-tender system of allotting mining contracts in her district.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017, held the mining portfolio during 2012-13, is also under the scanner.

The CBI was directed by the High Court on July 28, 2016 to probe illegal mining in the state following which it had registered seven preliminary enquiries out of which two pertaining to Shamli and Kaushambi districts were converted into FIRs in 2017.

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