Ex-MLA Anil cheated of Rs 15.5 cr in mining lease offer

Former MLA and mining baron Anil Lad has gone to the police with a cheating complaint against his business partners who allegedly pocketed Rs 15.55 crore from him by promising a lucrative mining lease in Ballari district.

The mining lease never came. When Lad demanded his money back, one of the suspects — identified as Shivakumar R— allegedly threatened to get him bumped off by contract killers from Mumbai underworld.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has booked Shivakumar for criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal intimidation and launched an investigation, said Niranjan, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Seshadripuram subdivision.

Lad's complaint states that Shivakumar and Mrs Ranjith, owners of Kumar Enterprises, had approached him with a business proposal in 2007. They said they had applied to the Department of Mines and Geology for a mining lease at Ramgad in Sandur, Ballari district. They promised to obtain the lease within six months if he signed an MoU with them. He signed the pact and the lease was procured. The duo then offered Lad all the mining rights. He paid them Rs 15.55 crore between 2007 and 2010 by cheque and other bank transactions as part of the deal.

The duo, however, kept dodging Lad for the mining lease and eventually went back on the deal. In October, Lad went to Shivakumar's house to demand his money back but the latter was not available. On November 30, Shivakumar met Lad at the Golf Club and allegedly threatened to get him murdered by contract killers from Mumbai underworld if he demanded the money. Lad then approached the jurisdictional High Grounds police station and lodged a complaint.