CBI raids Reddy aides, MLA, forest official

BANGALORE/BELLARY/ DHARWAD/DAVANGERE: The CBI conducted raids on former Karnataka tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy’s aides, including an MLA and officials, in connection with illegal mining, and opened two FIRs against Reddy and others following orders from the Supreme Court.A case has been registered against Associated Mining Company and another case against Deccan Mining Syndicate. According to official sources, CBI got information after grilling K Mahesh, a close aide of Reddy, recently.Even Lokayukta sleuths were on the manhunt for Mahesh but he had managed to escape their dragnet. A team led by Deputy Inspector General of Police R Hitendranath is investigating the case.In connection with the two cases, CBI teams conducted raids in Bangalore, Bellary, Dharwad, Davangere and Chitradurga on Monday.The 25-member CBI team from Karnataka led by SP Subramanya, raided Eagle Traders, owned by Kudligi MLA B Nagendra and his house in the early hours at Nehru Colony and his office on Taluk Road in Bellary. Computer hard-discs and a machine gun, besides some documents pertaining to their mining transactions, were seized.The CBI also raided the house of a former minister for mines.Officials also raided the residence of K M Parvatamma and K M Vishwanath in Parvatinagar, owners of Deccan Mining Company and Aruna, wife of Janardhana Reddy.Offices of Kumarswamy Mines Trading Company, Deccan Mining Syndicate, of which Rajendra Jain is the owner, and the HR Department of Jindal Steels were also raided.In Dharwad, CBI officials conducted raids during the wee hours on Monday on the office of former Bellary DCF Muttaiah, his quarters and the Forest Training Institute at Gungurghatta, 15 km from Dharwad.Sources said Muttaiah was away on a foreign tour.The CBI team led by Nagaraj K, collected documents pertaining to demarcation of forest land in Bellary, illegal mining operations and ore transportation.CBI officials then raided his house in Davangere. The team made inquiries with his wife Shashirekha and daughter for over three hours. After searching the house, the team sought details of their accounts at Canara Bank, HDFC Bank and SBI.The CBI team left for Jagalur where Muttaiah’s sister lives and made inquiries.The CBI raided the house of M Y T Swamy, a close aide of Janardhana Reddy, at Nayakanahatti in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district and seized documents.