JOIN US Former Andhra Pradesh mining minister in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet, P Sabita Indra Reddy, was named as an accused in the Rs 5,000 crore Obulapuram iron ore mining scam involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy of the BJP, who is languishing in jail since September 2011.
This will be a major blow to Sabita who has been denied a ticket by the Congress and her son Karthik Reddy, the party candidate from Chevella Parliamentary seat.
CBI sources say that she may be arrested soon, which can become the campaign point for the Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the BJP.
She was earlier made a witness in previous charge sheets in the mining scam involving Kadapa MP and YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Sabita has been slapped with criminal cases under section 125, 120 B ,409 of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, along with retired IAS officer and former mines secretary B Kripanandam, for criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, criminal misconduct and for causing wrongful gain.
“The investigations are complete in the mining scam, excepting for the inter-state border issue in Bellary district,” said the CBI spokesperson.
The CBI alleged that Sabita was the final authority to approve the mining leases to Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC) owned by Reddy, and was part of the irregularities while awarding the leases.