CBI arrests Janardhana Reddy on illegal mining issue

Bangalore: Striking hard against illegal mining operators, CBI today arrested mining baron and former Karnataka Minister G Janardhana Reddy for his alleged involvement in illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh. A ten-member CBI officials team today raided ”Kuteera”, the palatial residence of Reddy in the heart of Bellary town, about 350 km from here, and immediately whisked him away to Hyderabad.Reddy is accused of involving in large scale illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh under his Obulapuram Mining Company. The Andhra Government, after the demise of former Chief Minister Y S Rajashekara Reddy in a helicopter accident, had ordered CBI inquiry into illegal mining in the state by OMC. It is alleged Reddy had carried out large scale illegal mining in Andhra-Karnataka border under the alleged ‘patronage’ of the late chief minister and had also destroyed the state boundaries coming in the area. The CBI officials also seized a helicopter owned by Reddy and made a through search of Kuteera. The search was still on when the last reports came in, CBI sources said. CBI DIG Lakshminarayan, who is spearheading the probe against illegal mining and the operations of OMC, led the raid. Meanwhile, Congress leader from Bellary K C Kondaiah, speaking from Bellary, welcomed the CBI action and said the Reddy brothers, once powerful ministers in Karnataka and now out of the cabinet after being strongly indicted in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, had indulged in large scale illegal mining and exports of iron ore and looting of country’s natural resources. ”We have been fighting against and exposing the Reddys and their deeds for long time. Now time has finally caught up with him,” he added.