The CBI team investigating the illegal mining activities of the Associated Mining Company in Bellary has only confirmed the Lokayukta report.
“It is true that the Bellary administration had surrendered to the parallel setup of G Janaradhana Reddy, who was then a minister in the BJP government. The entire district administration was being controlled from Kuteera, his residence. The findings of the Lokayukta report in this regard are true,’ said government officials who were posted in Bellary, to the CBI.
The CBI team led by DIG, R Hitendra, has summoned almost 30 senior officials who were posted in Bellary during this period. Highly placed sources in the CBI said the officials had given a written statement that they had invariably assisted the Reddy operations fearing for their lives.
Senior and junior officers of police, revenue, mines and geology, forest and income tax departments are being questioned continuously at the Ganganagar CBI office. Certain officers working at the head offices of forest and mines and geology departments have also been questioned.
Top sources confirmed that many of the officers had admitted to have worked as per the wishes of Janardhana Reddy and in most cases against the norms and laws, as it was inevitable. They also said they didn’t go against the Reddy’s empire fearing for their lives and hence surrendered voluntarily. Most of them acknowledged the ‘Reddy Republic of Bellary.’ Some officers even gave the list of decisions that they had taken in violation of the law.
The officials have also disclosed that they were aware of the illegal activities like Hafta, ‘zero material’ and fake permits for transportation of ore. They have even said that the Reddy empire had put immense pressure on them not to disclose incriminating details to the Lokayukta during the probe. The officials have also said that Reddy had built a team to oversee whether the officials worked according to his whims and fancies, failing which the officials were brought to Kuteera and ill treated.
Ali Khan rules
The CBI has found evidence that Mehfuz Ali Khan, the close associate of Janardhana Reddy had a direct hold on the government officials. He regularly visited government offices, threatened officials and even got the files signed. The officials even confessed to have signed files in violation of the law them under duress by Ali Khan.
The income tax department, which had raided the houses of the many people active in the illegal mining in Bellary in 2010, had submitted a report to the Centre that the Reddy gang was planning to counter attack the IT team and had threatened them from entering the district.
The officials have even confirmed this as true. The CBI is expected to file a separate report on all these developments to the Supreme Court.
