Bellary, Karnataka: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday searched the Bellary office of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), which is owned by Karnataka Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy and is accused of illegal mining
An 11-member CBI team, which arrived in Bellary on Wednesday night, questioned OMC employees at its office in Havambhavi and later visited Reddy's house. Janardhana Reddy has been asked to be available for questioning.
The Centre has ordered the CBI probe into alleged illegal mining at the Andhra Pradesh government's request.
Reddy—who has a case pending against him before Supreme Court--over is accused of illegal mining in parts of Karnataka bordering Andhra Pradesh. Reddy holds three mining licences in Andhra Pradesh.
Soon after Andhra Pradesh sought a CBI probe, opposition Congress and JDS in Karnataka stepped up pressure on the state government to seek a similar probe, which Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa flatly rejected.
Yeddyurappa also asserted that there was no need to axe the three ministers and mining magnates from Bellary, including G Karunakara Reddy, brother of Janardhana Reddy and their close associate, Health Minister B Sreeramulu.
Yeddyurappa has maintained that there is no illegal mining in Karnataka and he has not granted any new mining licence ever since he assumed office.
The Supreme Court had appointed a Central Empowered Committee which concluded that OMC was carrying out "illegal" iron ore mining on the Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border.
The Centre has suspended forest clearances of some firms, including OMC, for alleged illegal mining in six mines in Andhra Pradesh.
The Reddy brothers and Sreeramulu had recently spearheaded a campaign for removal of Yeddyurappa, but both had buried the hatchet with the Chief Minister, at the intervention of the party central leadership.
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