Bellary: Tapal Ganesh, a mine owner who has been fighting against illegal mining and reportedly helped CBI build a case against mining baron and former Karnataka Minister G Janardhana Reddy on Sunday joined the BJP.
"I joined the BJP because of state BJP President K S Eshwarappa assured me that justice will be meted out to me with regard to the loss that I have suffered because of illegal mining",Ganesh, who owns Tumti mines in Bellary, told reporters here. Ganesh took up cudgels against illegal mining especially by Obulapuram Mining Company,owned by Reddy brothers Janardhana, Karunakara and Somashekhara. OMC had mining leases in Anantapur district on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.
Tapal Ganesh had filed a complaint in 2006 accusing Janardhana Reddy of encroaching on his mine. He later moved the Supreme Court, which suspended Janardhana Reddy?s mining operations and helped the CBI build a case against Reddy.
Reddy is now lodged in a Hyderabad jail after being arrested by CBI in connection with illegal mining. PTI