The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Andhra Pradesh high court order permitting Bellary Iron Ores Ltd, a company owned by industrialist S.K. Modi, to export iron ore worth Rs 50 crores from disputed Obulapuram area.
Admitting a special leave petition (SLP) of Andhra Pradesh government alleging that the 1.03 lakh tones of iron ore was allegedly extracted illegally by the company, a vacation bench of Justices Deepak Verma and K.S. Radhakrishnan imposed the ban on its lifting.
While issuing notice to the company asking it to file affidavit to the AP government’s SLP, the apex court also directed that the case be tagged with that of the Reddy brothers’ firm, Obulapuram Mining Company.
These cases are expected to be placed before a special forest bench, headed by Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia.
The apex court was informed by government lawyers that the extracted iron ore was estimated to be worth Rs 50 crore while the HC had allowed the company to lift it on depositing merely Rs 1.5 crore.
Andhra Pradesh’s stand was supported by Additional Solicitor General Parag Tripathi, appearing for the Centre, who said that the entire stoke “appeared” to be extracted illegally from the disputed area.