Bellary/Hyderabad: A Karnataka court has
issued `Prisoner on Transit` warrant against mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, an accused in the Obulapuram Mining Company
mining scam, to produce him before a special CBI court by
March 2, in connection with another "illegal" mining case
registered against him in that state, officials said Tuesday.
Reddy, the former Karnataka Tourism Minister, is
currently under judicial remand and lodged in the Chanchalguda
Central Prison here along with brother-in-law B V Srinivas
Reddy since September 5 after being arrested by the CBI in
connection with "illegal" mining case involving OMC owned by
him.
A senior jail official confirmed that the warrant
directions were only with regard to production of Janardhan
Reddy before the court in Bangalore by March 2.
"We have received the warrant copy from the escort party
yesterday and Reddy, who is on judicial remand in Chanchalguda
Jail here will be soon handed over to the escort party," the
jail official said.
The CBI filed its charge sheet against the Reddys and
three others last December after accusing them of creating forged documents with conspiracy with public servants and alleged the mining and extraction of 29.
30 lakh tonne of iron-ore was done in several areas (in
Karnataka) other than the leased area of 68.5 hectares held by
OMC in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Sources in Bellary said CBI has moved an application
before its designated court in Hyderbad seeking custody of
Reddy in connection with its ongoing probe into illegal mining
by Associated Mining Company (AMC).
The CBI in Karnataka has already filed FIR against 21
people including Reddy, his wife Aruna, former minister and
Congress leader V Muniyappa and others in connection with
illegal mining activity by AMC, owned by Reddy and his wife
Aruna.
OMC is accused of changing mining lease boundary markings
between AP and Karnataka and indulging in illegal mining in
the Bellary Reserve Forest Area, spread between Bellary and
Anantapur districts.
The CBI had registered a case against OMC on December 7,
2009 in the wake of allegations of illegal mining and
irregularities in allotment of mining leases in Obulapuram and
Malapanagudi villages of Anantapur.
The CBI is also probing the "link" between mining
activities in Bellary and Anantapur involving the Reddy
brothers after a directive to the central agency from Supreme
Court in September last year.
PTI
