he FIR was prepared after the CBI officials visited Obulapuram and H Siddapuram in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh in 2009.
Former tourism minister and Bellary district in-charge minister G Janardhana Reddy and managing director of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) BV Srinivas Reddy were arrested by Hyderabad CBI police on Monday morning in Bellary.
He was arrested on charges of violating IPC Act, Forest Act, Mines and Mineral Development Act, Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, stealing property, mischief, criminal trespass, illegal mining and criminal misconduct.
The FIR was prepared after the CBI officials visited Obulapuram and H Siddapuram in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh in 2009.
The FIR (RC 17(A)/2009) was made on December 7, 2009 and it relates to the period from May 1998 to the date of FIR.
On November 17, 2009, the government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) gave its notification to the CBI to register and investigate the criminal case related to boundary disputes and illegal mining activities of OMC and Bellary Iron Ore Private Limited (BIOP) in Bellary reserve forest of Ananthapur district, AP, and other matters related to the DSPE Act, 1946.
Based on reliable information gathered by officials on allegations of violation of several central and state rules governing mining of iron ore by OMC, it is learnt that the company was granted three lease orders whereas BIOP was granted one.
OMC got 25.98 hectares from February 19, 2002 to April 25, 2017, 39.50 hectares from October 5, 2006 to October 4, 2026 and 68.50 hectares from May19, 1998 to May18, 2018, respectively in its three leases.
In its lease area of 68.50 hectares located in Antharagangamma Konda, the OMC, with criminal intention, shifted the boundary pillar of station number 8 by about 40 metres.
It also constructed a permanent pillar there to encroach the un-allotted area for illegal mining.
They did it in a similar way for the pillar at station number 10. Here they removed the pillar, encroached upon the government land and formed a road on pillar station number 7 instead of on pillar station 8 without any approval, the FIR stated.
OMC also formed another 8m-wide illegal road in the pillar station number 1, which leads to the reserve forest, about 2.95 km outside its lease area. This violated the forest laws.
In the Antharagangamma Konda, OMC dispatched 29.32 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore. But the mined pits and surface area removed were shown in the records as less than 40% of 29.32 lakh metric tonnes dug out which indicated the illegal export of iron ore.
OMC encroached upon about 1 hectare forest area besides 39.5 hectares, which shows the criminal trespass, the report stated.
In its 25.98 hectares of lease, OMC encroached upon the forest land and carried illegal mining in the reserve forest area.
OMC also destroyed the Suggalamma Devi temple located in the forest land and stole the minerals in the area which hurt the sentiments of devotees.
Hence, the company has been booked under the criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, trespass, and violation of the Indian Forest Act 1927 and Mines and Minerals Act 1957.
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