A special court in Bengaluru recently ordered the Karnataka Police to register a criminal case against former State Minister for tourism G Janardhana Reddy and others in a decade-old multi-crore illegal mining case..Reddy and his brother-in-law BV Srinivasa Reddy were initially arrested in this case in September 2011. They were granted bail by the Supreme Court in January 2015. That case was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). .Special Judge J Preeth has now directed the police to register a criminal case against Reddy in relation to the same case. However, this time, the complainant is the Lokayukta's special investigation team. Apart from Reddy and his brother-in-law, the court has also ordered a probe against his confidante Mehfouz Ali Khan and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) B Nagendra. Names of senior IAS and IRS officers and four mining companies have also been mentioned in the complaint..As per the complaint, Madhukumar Varma, the owner of Shree Minerals and Sri Basaweshwara Minerals, and partners of Trident Minerals - Hotur Abdul Vahab, Hotur Noor Ahamed and Hotur Mahammed Iqbal - entered into a criminal conspiracy with some government officials and mine owners from April 2009 to December 2009.It is alleged that the accused carried out illegal mining of iron ore even in 2011 and duped the State to the tune of nearly ₹211 crore. .After going through the complaint and the material on record, the court held that the allegations were prima facie sufficient to order a probe. Therefore, the judge ordered registration of a criminal case under Sections 21 and 23 and Sections 4(1) and 4(1)(A) of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulations Act, 1957. .[Read order]
A special court in Bengaluru recently ordered the Karnataka Police to register a criminal case against former State Minister for tourism G Janardhana Reddy and others in a decade-old multi-crore illegal mining case..Reddy and his brother-in-law BV Srinivasa Reddy were initially arrested in this case in September 2011. They were granted bail by the Supreme Court in January 2015. That case was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). .Special Judge J Preeth has now directed the police to register a criminal case against Reddy in relation to the same case. However, this time, the complainant is the Lokayukta's special investigation team. Apart from Reddy and his brother-in-law, the court has also ordered a probe against his confidante Mehfouz Ali Khan and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) B Nagendra. Names of senior IAS and IRS officers and four mining companies have also been mentioned in the complaint..As per the complaint, Madhukumar Varma, the owner of Shree Minerals and Sri Basaweshwara Minerals, and partners of Trident Minerals - Hotur Abdul Vahab, Hotur Noor Ahamed and Hotur Mahammed Iqbal - entered into a criminal conspiracy with some government officials and mine owners from April 2009 to December 2009.It is alleged that the accused carried out illegal mining of iron ore even in 2011 and duped the State to the tune of nearly ₹211 crore. .After going through the complaint and the material on record, the court held that the allegations were prima facie sufficient to order a probe. Therefore, the judge ordered registration of a criminal case under Sections 21 and 23 and Sections 4(1) and 4(1)(A) of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulations Act, 1957. .[Read order]