NEW DELHI: In more trouble for jailed former south Indian state Karnataka Minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, the Supreme Court Friday wanted CBI to probe the "linkage" between mining activities in Karnataka's Bellary district and Ananthpur in the state of Andhra Pradesh allegedly involving the Reddy brothers.The court said Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation was needed as it was prima facie satisfied with the materials placed before it that the iron ore extracted by two companies, Associated Mining Company (AMC) and Deccan Mining Syndicate (DMS), was being illegally routed through Obulapuram in Andhra Pradesh.The court was informed that AMC was owned by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and former Karnataka Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy, and his wife while DMS was owned by another mining baron S M Jain.Both the companies, according to the report of the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), were involved in illegal mining in the lease area of 10.12 hectares in the village Jaisingapur village and there were irregularities in renewal of lease.A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia specifically noted that Reddy's AMC was involved in "series of illegalities" and even the expert panel report of CEC suggested that the former minister and his wife G Lakshmi Aruna appeared to have taken charge of the company (AMC) by "adopting dubious means to get themselves admitted as new partners and ensuring the retirement of all the existing partners of the firm".The court, which issued notice to the CBI, also directed it to apprise it about the status of investigation it had undertaken against Reddy brothers' Obulapuram Mining Company pursuant to the registration of FIR by it on the next hearing on September 30.The CBI, probing alleged illegal mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), had arrested one of the three Reddy brothers, Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law and OMC Managing Director Srinivas Reddy on September 5 from Bellary in Karnataka.The duo are under judicial custody till October 3 and lodged at Chanchalguda Central Prison in Hyderabad.The apex court Friday passed the order after perusing the September 21 report of the CEC regarding the survey and demarcation, e-auction and related issues pertaining to the mining leases in districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur."Essentially this court is prima facie satisfied with the material placed before it about the linkage of mining in Bellary and mining in Ananthpur District of Andhra Pradesh," the bench, also comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Swatanter Kumar said."We also prima facie found that material (ore) extracted by two companies, AMC and DMS is being routed through Obulapuram in Andhra Pradesh. It is for this reason we are issuing notice to the CBI. We want CBI to investigate this aspect of linkage," the bench said.However, the bench asked the CEC to consider the representations of the lease holders on its report, which is based on findings of the Joint team, constituted in pursuance of May 6, 2011 order of the apex court for carrying out survey work and demarcation of 99 mining leases in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur.It said the findings of the CEC should be placed before the apex court for direction.
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