Janardhan Reddy held in illegal mining scam

Tribune News Service

Bengaluru, November 20

The ordeal of mining baron and former BJP minister Janardhan Reddy continued as a local court today granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Lokayukta Police Reddy’s custody for three days for interrogation in an illegal mining case.

Earlier today, Reddy was arrested by the SIT headed by Charan Reddy, IGP. The arrest was made in connection with the case of Black Gold Iron Ore and Exports, a case in which Reddy had not obtained bail. He had secured anticipatory bail in two other cases registered by SIT against him.

Reddy was earlier arrested by the CBI on September 5, 2011, in the Obalapuram Mining Case and was released on bail in January this year, on the condition that he would not visit Ballari city. 

Once a well-known protégé of senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, Reddy had been maintaining a low key since his release. 

Reddy’s Obalapuram Mining Company has been accused of changing mining lease boundary markings and indulging in illegal mining in the Ballari Reserve Forest area, spread over Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.