Hyderabad: A special CBI court in Nampally sentenced former Karnataka minister, Gali Janardhan Reddy, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the Obulapuram illegal mining case.
The other accused are: Former Andhra Pradesh director of mines, VD Rajagopal; former managing director of OMC BV Srinivasa Reddy and personal assistant to Gali Janardhan Reddy, Mehfuz Ali Khan.
The CBI court announced the verdict on Tuesday, May 6. All four have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment along with a Rs 1.4 lakh fine.
Former mines minister Sabitha acquitted
However, the court acquitted the then mines minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and former IAS officer Kripanandam, citing lack of evidence to prove their involvement in the scam. The judge ruled them not guilty, bringing relief to Sabitha, who was added later as an accused in the CBI’s supplementary charge-sheet.
About Obulapuram illegal mining case
The case is one of the high-profile cases centring on Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), owned by Gali Janardhan Reddy, was accused of illegal extraction of iron ore, encroachment on forest land, violations of mining leases, and export of ore without proper clearances, causing a loss of over Rs 800 crore to the Karnataka government.
In 2011, Janardhan Reddy was arrested by the CBI.
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