NGO says it has evidence against Reddy brothers

We have documents to prove they own mines in Karnataka

Samudaya president S R Hiremath told reporters that he had recently come into possession of some crucial documents that would clearly disprove the Reddy brothers’ claim that they neither owned mines nor were involved in illegal mining.

The new documents included a report on illegal mining submitted by Gulbarga Circle Conservator of Forests, a police complaint filed by the Department of Mines and Geology on illegal mining in Ramgad in Bellary district, and the registration certificate of Associated Mining, an iron ore firm owned by G Janardhana Reddy and his wife G Lakshmi Aruna.

Hiremath, who has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court and on whose petition the
SC has set up the CEC to look into the illegal mining in Karnataka, has said that the SPS and others had already submitted two sets of documents to the CEC explaining how the forest and mineral resources were being looted by greedy politicians and industrialists. But the third set to be submitted to the CEC in a day or two would conclusively prove Reddy brothers’ involvement in illegal mining.

New documents

The first of the three documents is a report on illegal mining submitted to the government by Gulbarga Circle Conservator of Forests in 2005. In his report, he had said that the Black Gold (iron ore) Mines and Minerals had looted lakhs of metric tonnes of ore by extracting and transporting from Vannahalli village area in Bellary district illegally.

Some corrupt officials had also colluded with the illegal miners in creating forged documents and transporting of precious minerals.
Another document pertains to a police complaint by the Department of Mines and Geology. On the instruction of Conservator of Forests U V Singh, the Department of Mines and Geology has filed a police complaint on illegal mining at Ramgadh village on October 12, 2009.

Dr Singh, during his visit to the Ramgadh village had noticed rampant illegal mining being carried out with the support of some powerful politicians. Dr Singh instructed the Department of Mines and Geology to look into the issue.

Acting on his instruction, Deputy Director of the Department of Mines and Geology (Hospet circle) Ramalingayya visited the Ramgad and filed a police complaint. In his complaint, the Deputy Director has said that the illegal mining was being carried by MLA Somashekhar Reddy’s personal assistant and Corporator Diwakar.

Crucial document

Another crucial document the SPS possesses is retirement and admission deed of Associated Mining Company, an iron ore mining company. The firm was earlier owned by one K M Parvathamma and her son K M Vishwanath.

But through a deed signed before the Registrar of Firms in Bangalore on August 1, 2009, K M Parvathamma and her son retired from the firm and G Janardhan Reddy and his wife G Lakshmi Aruna admitted into the firm as the partners the very next day.