Gali stays in CBI custody

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Former tourism minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, the prime accused in the illegal mining case filed by the CBI, suffered another setback on Thursday when the high court ruled that there was nothing wrong in remanding him to CBI custody.

Reddy had challenged the order of the CBI court remanding him to custody on March 2. The custody was later extended to March 16, The former minster is presently lodged at the central prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru.

Justice N. Ananda while dismissing his petition, observed that the CBI custody was necessary to verify the statements of the witnesses in the case. The court also ruled that there were no grounds to interfere with the lower court order remanding Reddy to custody.

The mine baron was brought to Bengaluru on a body warrant from Chanchalaguda prison following a case filed by CBI against him and several others including his wife pertaining to the illegal activities of two of his firms — Associated Mining Company and Deccan Mining Syndicate. The CBI had registered the FIR in October, 2011.

In another case, Reddy has sought an interim stay on the mining probe on the grounds that a petition by former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa related to the report on illegal mining submitted by former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, is still pending in court.

CBI to use hi-end technology at AMC

A CBI team, which inspected the minefields of the Associated Mining Company (AMC), once owned by jailed former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, hopes to use sophisticated technology like a 3-D terrestrial laser scanner to establish whether the quantity of ore excavated here since 1966 was as much or less than shown in records. If it proves to be less, the CBI may have reason to conclude that the excess iron ore was mined elsewhere illegally and brought to the AMC to hoodwink the authorities.

The AMC is alleged to have illegally brought iron ore extracted from other areas. The CBI is trying to establish the source and destination of the excess iron ore and also find the locations where the money earned from these transaction was deposited.

CBI superintendent of police, Subramanyeshwar Rao and inspector Rajashekhar, who visited the AMC mine with mining engineers, however did only a preliminary survey, according to sources. “The actual 3D laser survey will be conducted later by the Singareeni engineers,” they reveal. The investigation has reportedly shown that no active mining was done on the 10.2 hectares leased by AMC in the Ramghad forest block.