The Former Karnataka Minister- Owned Chopper Is Now ‘Captive’ Of The Investigative Agency
Hyderabad: The Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt Ltd (OMC) owned by mining baron and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy earned over Rs 4,310 crore by selling illegally mined iron ore by way of local sales and exports, according to the CBI chargesheet. With so much money coming his way, Gali went to the extent of buying a Bel helicopter for his exclusive use. CBI seized this helicopter and it is currently in its custody.
Ironically, according to the investigative agency, Gali managed to get the mining leases in Andhra Pradesh on the pretext of using them for captive purpose for his Brahmani Steel Plant proposed to be set up at Kadapa. He did not set up the plant but got the words captive mining deleted from the GOs that granted him the mining leases. He used these leases to justify his illegal mining activities elsewhere and ended up buying a chopper, says the CBI.Though the CBI chargesheet explains at length how the authorities had crossed their brief in circumventing all the existing norms to help OMC get leases and how the company sidelined other rival applicants, it only made a small mention about political overtones in the case.
At one para at the fag end of the chargesheet, the CBI did say as to how a rival mining lease applicant N Konda Reddy was silenced by powerful politicians. It was in this connection, the CBI earlier questioned Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy and left things there. The current chargesheet did not say anything about Jagan. But CBI officials are now maintaining that they will file a supplementary chargesheet but remained mum as to whether Jagan will be a witness or an accused in that.
The CBI probing the allegations of illegal mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to OMC in Anantapur district had filed the chargesheet against OMC, Janardhana Reddy, his brother-in-law and the mining firm’s MD B V Srinivas Reddy, former mining and geology director V D Rajagopal and the then assistant director of mines and geology late R Linga Reddy on December 3 last year.
According to the chargesheet, the total amount earned by OMC through local sales and by export of iron ore worked out to Rs 4,310 crore during the 2007-10 period. The Reddys (arrested by CBI in September last year from Bellary) and Rajagopal (arrested in November last year) are presently under judicial remand and lodged in Chanchalguda jail here. The chargesheet further says that Reddys entered into criminal conspiracy with public servants including late Linga Reddy, VD Rajagopal, suspended IAS officer and then secretary (Industries and Commerce department) Y Srilakshmi and ensured that the mining lease for the iron ore on area of 68.5 hectare and 39.5 hectare were granted in favour of OMC.
Srilakshmi had committed various omissions and commissions in the criminal conspiracy and favoured OMC while ignoring other mining bidders, the CBI alleged in the chargesheet. “Srilakshmi by abusing her official position issued two GOs on June 18, 2007 sanctioning mining lease for iron ore in over two stretches of 68.5 hectares (of Anthara Gangamma Konda of D Hirehal mandal in Anantapur district) and 39.5 hectares (in Obulapuram village) in favour of OMC while rejecting other mining applicants,” the CBI said.
The GOs did not specify the clause ‘Captive Mining’ though OMC itself applied for mining lease stating its intention to set up a steel plant in Kadapa district, which in turn caused pecuniary gain to OMC and gave an impetus to Janardhana Reddy and Srinivas Reddy to indulge in illegal mining and justify it, the CBI alleged.
The CBI further said that V D Rajagopal and Srilakshmi had demanded huge bribes running into crores for grant of prospective mining lease to one C Sashi Kumar, a mine bidder. The investigation were on with regard to demand of money by Srilakshmi from Sashi Kumar, and the quid pro quo in this case against her was in progress and a supplementary report will be filed, the CBI added.
Ranga Rao turns approver
Tummala Ranga Rao, director of Stylish Homes and charged in the APIIC-Emmar scam that is being probed by the CBI, is all set to turn into an approver. The CBI is now seeking the permission of the court to record the statement of Ranga Rao under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate. Several key aspects like who facilitated the entry of Emaar –MGF into the deal between APIIC and Emaar may now become clear apart from the web of deceitful financial transactions that helped individual accused like Koneru Prasad more and caused loss to the exchequer, sources said.
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