CBI conduct searches at 25 places in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana in illegal mining case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has conducted searches at 25 places including the residence of TDP leader and other private individuals in connection with an illegal mining case.

Amaravati: The Central Bureau of Investigation has conducted searches at 25 places in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana including the residence of TDP leader and former MLA of Gurazala Constituency Yarapatineni Srinivas Rao and others in connection with an illegal mining case.

During the searches, the CBI teams seized several incriminating documents, mobile phones, material objects and cash. Searches were conducted at 25 places including Guntur district and Hyderabad.

The CBI had on August 26, 2020 registered a case against 17 accused persons in the matter after the state government had sought to transfer the matter from the Andhra Pradesh CB-CID, a request approved by the Central government.

"It was alleged that the accused had fraudulently conducted illegal and unauthorised mining, quarrying and transportation of limestone in Konanki village of Piduguralla Mandal, Kesanupalli and Nadikudi villages of Dachepalli Mandal, Guntur district for several years and thereby caused revenue loss to the Government and other licensed leaseholders, and also exploited the natural resources," the CBI said in a statement.

The statement by the Central probe agency alleged that illegal mining of several lakh tonnes of limestone was conducted by the accused from 2014 to 2018, as a result of which, natural resources worth several crore of rupees have been plundered.

In order to ascertain the quantum of unauthorised and illegal mining, CBI is also conducting volumetric analysis by using satellite imagery, the statement said. 

Further investigation in underway.