The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody an IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Ms Y. Srilakshmi, today in connection with the illegal mining case pertaining to Obulapuram Mining Company.
This is the fourth big arrest in the case, which includes Mr Gali Janardhana Reddy, former Minister of Karnataka and BJP leader, his brother in law and Managing Director of the Mining company, Mr B.V. Srinivasa Reddy and the former Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, Mr V.D. Rajagopal, affected by the investigating agency in the last 45 days. The arrest of Ms Srilakshmi, at present the Commissioner, Family Welfare, today came after the CBI officials had questioned the IAS officer on a couple of occasions for hours. She was the State Secretary Industries (in-charge of Mines) during the time that the State Government granted lease to the company owned by Mr Janardhana Reddy.
She is supposed to have passed orders granting lease to the company overlooking the bids of over two dozen competitors. In the Government Order the words ‘captive mining' were dropped to facilitate the grant of mining lease to an extent of 68.5 acres in Obulapuram village in Ananthapur district. It is also alleged that the company has caused loss running into a few thousand crores due to the illegal mining.
soma@thehindu.co.in