Official heading mining probe quits

SM Jaamdar, appointed last July, claims he was not provided with documents needed for the probe

A departmental inquiry into the role of forest department officials in the Bellary mining scam that has kept former minister G Janardhan Reddy and six officials behind bars for almost two years, has hit a snag. S M Jaamdar, the retired IAS officer picked to head the probe, has quit.

Jaamdar was appointed to conduct an inquiry against Dr P Rajashekaran, deputy conservator of forests, TV Srinivasan, JSrinivas Murthy, KK Poovaiah, all assistant conservators of forests, and range forest officers Mahesh A Patil and H Ramamurthy. They have all been accused of being complicit with Reddy and have been charged for not initiating steps to check the loot of mineral resources.

In his resignation letter to the government in October 2013, Jaamdar has asked to be relieved because of “personal problems”. But the retired IAS officer is miffed since all the documents pertaining to the probe are either with the Lokayukta or CBI courts.

“After I took over as inquiry officer in July 2013, I had asked officials to make sure that all the documents are submitted before me,” Jaamdar told BM. “After this, I was away in the US for three months. In all that time, things have not moved an inch from the day I took charge. I realised that this departmental inquiry will go on for three or four years. Since I am already teaching criminology at the Rani Chennama University in Belgaum district, I won’t be able take this inquiry further. So I decided to quit.”

Jaamdar claims officials have not maintained copies of the documents — described as going into “truckloads” — which have been submitted to the two courts. “I was provided with an office in Aranya Bhavan,” Jaamdar said. “I also met once with the officials concerned. I had asked them to provide certain documents which are necessary to conduct this inquiry, but not a single document was made available.”

Jaamdar also lists other difficulties. “All six officials are in judicial custody in Parappana Agrahara,” he said. “Every time they have to appear before you, one has to write to the courts concerned for permission. Then you have to obtain police protection to escort them.”

On February 13 this year, the government issued an order appointing Radhakrishna Holla in Jaamdar’s place. But what Holla is expected to do without the documents is the million dollar question.

Sources say although a court case is on, the forest department cannot dismiss the six officials — if such action is warranted — without conducting a departmental enquiry.