Reddy remanded in CBI custody till March 14

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court at the Parappana Agrahara prison on Friday remanded former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, his personal assistant Mehfuz Ali Khan and four other aides in CBI custody till March 14, in connection with the iron ore scam.

The court has directed the investigating agency to question the accused in the presence of their counsels and warned it against using third degree methods.

Reddy and Khan, accused in the illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company were lodged in the Chanchalguda Central Prison in Hyderabad.

Prisoner transit warrant

The two were brought to Bangalore early on Friday after the CBI had procured a prisoner transit warrant. Both were produced before the CBI Special Court at Parappana Agrahara later.

Sources in the CBI said the agency was investigating the Belekeri iron ore scam subsequent to a Supreme Court directive in September 2012. The decision to seek the custody of Reddy and Ali came after Kharadapudi Mahesh and Swastik Nagaraj were arrested earlier this month, sources added.

Lodged in prison

Besides Reddy and Ali, the CBI also produced incarcerated Deputy Conservator of Forest, Bellary district, S Muthaiah,  S P Raju, the then Director, Mines and Geology, Mahesh and Nagaraj, in the court. Muthaiah and Raju have already been lodged in the prison in connection with alleged irregularities in Reddy’s mining firm Associated Mining Company.

The CBI in Karnataka had filed an FIR against 20 persons besides Reddy, including his wife Aruna, in connection with illegal quarrying by Associated Mining Company owned by the couple.