Panaji, Jan 21 (IANS): The Goa Lokayukta on Tuesday directed the state government to order a CBI probe into the illegal renewal of 88 mining leases in 2015, by then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, former Mines Secretary P.K. Sain and the Director Mining and Geology department Prasanna Acharya.

"Appropriate FIR should be registered by the ACB of the State government against respondents 1 to 3. However further investigation shall be made in accordance with law by an independent agency and the state government is directed to entrust investigation to CBI," Goa Lokayukta Justice P.K. Mishra said in his order on Tuesday.

The order followed a complaint by a green NGO, Goa Foundation, which had filed a complaint before the Lokayukta alleging that the trio, through illegal second renewal of 88 mining leases had allegedly defrauded the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 1.44 lakh crore.

Parsekar in his defence has maintained that the decision to grant the second renewals was a policy decision of the state government led at the time by him and his predecessor Manohar Parrikar.