CBI files charges in Obulapuram illegal mining case

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed the first charge sheet in the illegal mining case naming former Karnataka minister and mining baron, Gali Janardhan Reddy, his company Obulapuram Mining Corporation's managing director B.V. Srinivasulu Reddy and former director of mining department in Andhra Pradesh, V.D. Rajagopal, as the accused.

CBI Joint Director V.V. Lakshminarayana said the 186-page charge sheet was filed in the special CBI court. "We have filed a charge sheet against only those people against whom the investigations have been completed. We will include more names in the charge sheet after further investigations," he said.

Significantly, the name of suspended IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi has also not been included in the charge sheet. When asked about the allegations levelled against the home minister, Sabita Indra Reddy, for her alleged role in the mining scandal, Lakshminarayana said the investigations were on from that angle.

Export record

Along with the charge sheet the CBI officials also submitted to the court supporting documents kept in six trunks. These include satellite photographs as well as the record of the exports of iron ore by Gali's company.

The CBI had arrested Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law Srinivasulu Reddy from Bellary on September 5 and since then they have been in Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad.

The CBI has charged Janardhan Reddy and his associates with cheating, theft, corruption, trespassing, illegal excavation and mining of iron ore and illegal exports. The CBI charges alleged while the company was given a mining lease for one place, it excavated at another. Of the 3.4 million tonnes of iron ore exported by the company, 2.9 million tonnes was illegally mined, the CBI told the court.

The cases were booked under sections 120-B, 409, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and also under the Forest Act.

Meanwhile, the CBI court extended the judicial custody of Janardhan Reddy and Srinivas Reddy until December 15. They were produced before the court through video conference from Chanchalguda jail. Their judicial custody period came to an end yesterday. The duo enjoy special category status in prison.