Yet another top official of Andhra Pradesh government was grilled for about nine hours on Thursday by the CBI for her alleged involvement in the illegal iron ore mining by Karnataka’s mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.
Yet another top official of Andhra Pradesh government was grilled for about nine hours on Thursday by the CBI for her alleged involvement in the illegal iron ore mining by Karnataka’s mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.
Y Srilakshmi, a 1988 batch IAS officer, was put through an elaborate round of questioning by the CBI for her role in illegal mining case.
Srilakshmi, till recently, was handling public health and family welfare and earlier she had held the post of industries secretary, handling mining.
It was during her stint in the state’s industries ministry she had allegedly favoured Janardhana Reddy and his firm Obulapuram Mining Company.
Reddy was offered a mining area at Obulapuram on the AP-Karnataka border as a captive mine for his steel factory Bramhani Industries Ltd.
However, in violation of the captive nature of the mines, Janardhana Reddy used the iron ore for exports. According to the investigators, Srilakshmi allowed the illegal mining to happen, either through an act of commission or omission.
According to sources, she has already narrated the way the approvals were given to the Reddys and the way the political establishment too ensured that the approvals were given to the Reddys without any hindrance.
Another senior official in the state government, former mines director VD Rajagopal, has already been arrested by the CBI.
According to sources, Rajagopal played an active role in according to mining lease to the Reddys and their brother-in-law Rajasekhar was a senior official of OMC.
Meanwhile, the bail petition of the prime accused in the illegal mining case, Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law BV Srinivas Reddy, have been rejected by the CBI court for the third time.
Apart from arguing that the detention of the Reddys itself was done in contravention of the law, the counsel of the accused also argued that there was no need for them to be put behind bars, since they were cooperating with the investigating agency.
However, the court did not agree with the argument and dismissed the bail applications.
The CBI, too, is working overtime to file a chargesheet in the case by the first week of December.
The CBI is also looking into the allegations of Janardhana Reddy holding multiple passports.
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