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In another blow to the Reddy brothers, already under scanner over illegal mining, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the linkages maintained by Reddy brothers’ mines between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, facilitating their export of illegal mined ore.
A bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar directed the CBI to submit a status report in this regard following a damning report filed in this connection by the apex court appointed Central Empowered Committee.
The committee in its September 21 report suggested that Reddys made a killing by mining ore illegally from Bellary district and transporting it to Andhra from where the same would be exported. The ore mined from Karnataka would be shown as that produced from Obalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, ready for export.
The CEC report even named one of the Reddy brothers -- former Karnataka Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy, who it said was also in charge of Bellary. The committee noted that the mining lease of one of the defaulting companies Associated Mining Company was transferred in the name of Janardhana Reddy. It said, “This, it appears was done by adopting dubious means.” The iron ore from Karnataka was illegally routed to Andhra through Vishakhapatnam and other ports, it added. The court sought Attorney-General GE Vahanvati’s assistance on the next date, September 30, in this matter. Interestingly, even the Government-run NMDC came under attack from CEC as its contractor Deccan Mining Syndicate indulged in over-extraction of mineral.
A bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar directed the CBI to submit a status report in this regard following a damning report filed in this connection by the apex court appointed Central Empowered Committee.
The committee in its September 21 report suggested that Reddys made a killing by mining ore illegally from Bellary district and transporting it to Andhra from where the same would be exported. The ore mined from Karnataka would be shown as that produced from Obalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, ready for export.
The CEC report even named one of the Reddy brothers -- former Karnataka Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy, who it said was also in charge of Bellary. The committee noted that the mining lease of one of the defaulting companies Associated Mining Company was transferred in the name of Janardhana Reddy. It said, “This, it appears was done by adopting dubious means.” The iron ore from Karnataka was illegally routed to Andhra through Vishakhapatnam and other ports, it added. The court sought Attorney-General GE Vahanvati’s assistance on the next date, September 30, in this matter. Interestingly, even the Government-run NMDC came under attack from CEC as its contractor Deccan Mining Syndicate indulged in over-extraction of mineral.
