SIT arrests Janardhana Reddy in iron-ore export case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Lokayukta, probing illegal mining in the State, on Friday arrested former minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy in connection with a case of illegal extraction, transportation and export of iron ore.

The Lokayukta special court remanded Reddy in police custody till November 26. The SIT had registered 13 FIRs against Reddy based on Lokayukta report part-2. Reddy had secured anticipatory bail in two cases and interim anticipatory bail in the remaining 11 cases. According to sources, he had gone into hiding ever since securing 11 interim anticipatory bails. There was no response to notices issued by the SIT asking him to appear for questioning. The SIT had deployed teams at CBI court in Hyderabad and Bengaluru and also near the CBI office in Ganganagar in the City.

Reddy turned up at the CBI office in the morning to mark his attendance as per the bail condition in the Associated Mining Company case. The SIT officials picked him up and took him to SIT office at Hebbal on Ballari road.

The SIT registered the 14th FIR against Reddy and intimated him about his arrest in the case. A little later, his close aide Mehfooz Ali Khan, who has also been on the run, appeared before the SIT officials. A senior police official said that Ali Khan will be produced before the court on Saturday.

The case is based on the Lokayukta report part-2 about theft of high grade iron ore from the leased area of Black Gold Iron Ore Mines and Minerals at Vannahalli village in Ballari, between 2004 and 2006. Reddy and others illegally transported about 3 lakh MT of iron ore during this period.