Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Dec 3 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Saturday formally filed charges in illegal mining case involving Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) and its owner former Karnataka minister G. Janardhana Reddy .

The CBI filed the 186-page charge sheet in the special court dealing with CBI cases at Nampally criminal court complex here.

The charge sheet names Janardhana Reddy, his brother-in-law and OMC managing director B.V. Srinivasa Reddy, and Andhra Pradesh’s former director of mines V.D. Rajagopal as the accused. They are all lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail here.

It also named late R. Linga Reddy, a former assistant director in the mines wing of the state.

The name of arrested Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Y.Srilakshmi, who was released on bail Friday, did not figure in the charge sheet. The CBI is yet to get permission from the central government to prosecute her.

CBI Joint Director V.V. Lakshminarayana told reporters that since Srilakshmi is a serving public servant, the agency needs permission from the government under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act to prosecute her.

He said others against whom the investigations were on would be included as accused after the evidence against them was confirmed.

The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, criminal trespass, breach of trust by public servant and forgery.

The OMC has been charged with illegally mining iron ore in areas other than those allotted to it in Obulapuram area of Anantapur district.

The CBI officials brought the charge sheet and supporting documents running into thousands of pages to the court in 10 trunks.

The charge sheet has been filed under Sections 120-B, 409, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The CBI official said they examined 201 witnesses in the case. The investigating agency submitted to the court 607 documents running into 60,000 pages.

The federal agency, which probed the case for three years, also submitted scientific evidence, including satellite imagery and forensic accounting.

It was on Dec 7, 2009, that the CBI office in Hyderabad registered a case against OMC and others under various sections of the IPC, the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Indian Forest Act, and the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act.

The CBI arrested Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law Srinivasa Reddy in Bellary in Karnataka Sep 5.

Rajagopal, former managing director of the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC), was arrested Nov 13.

According to the CBI, Rajagopal and Srilakshmi showed undue favours to OMC by granting leases for iron ore mining in Anantapur district.

Srilakshmi was secretary of the industries department in late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s government in Andhra Pradesh when OMC was granted mining lease.

The senior officer was arrested Nov 28 and after three-day CBI custody, she was sent to jail Thursday. The officer, who was family welfare commissioner at the time of the arrest, was suspended by the state government.

Meanwhile, the court also extended the judicial custody of Janardhana Reddy and Srinivasa Reddy till Dec 15.

The court conducted the hearing through video conference. Janardhana Reddy requested the court to provide him a copy of the charge sheet.

The OMC illegally mined iron ore in Karnataka but transported it to the mining area allotted in Anantapur and exported it with the connivance of public servants.