Mine owner opposed to Reddys attacked

Two others also injured in assault by eight miscreants

Tapal Ganesh, who runs his own mining operations in the outlying areas of Bellary, a relative, identified as Vinod, and a journalist were targeted by the anti-social elements at the hotel where they were having a meeting with Survey of India (SoI) officials here on a visit on the directions of the Supreme Court to begin work on demarcating disputed mining boundaries in Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh.

So severe was the assault that the three were admitted to Vims Hospital. The miscreants, whose targeted assault seemed not without purpose, also attacked a few more television news channel journalists present at the Bala Regency Hotel.

The police later picked up a youth, believed to have been known to the gang, for questioning. Superintendent of Police Seemanta Kumar Singh said a complaint has been filed at Gandhinagar police station and three teams led by a deputy superintendent of police have begun investigating the incident.

A SoI team led by A K Pada is here on an order from the Supreme Court to conduct a survey in six mining regions where the Reddy brothers’ company, Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), has been pulled up by the apex court for alleged encroachment of land.
The officials, who started the survey a couple of days back, were scheduled to visit the areas, where OMC and a couple of other firms owned by the Reddy’s operate, on Monday with the help of GPS and other satellite technology.

When the attack took place, the SoI officials, along with representatives from the governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as well as District Deputy Conservator of Forests Muttaiah, were present in the hotel. Around 11:30 am while they were discussing strategies and poring over mining maps and topography sheets when the assailants barged into a nearby hotel where Ganesh and Vinod had put up.

The police said the assailants came in a car, beat up Ganesh, Vinod and the journalist. Ganesh suffered wounds on his hands and legs. Talking to reporters from the hospital bed, Ganesh said State ministers G Janardhan Reddy, G Karunakar Reddy and B Sriramulu were responsible for the attack.

Ganesh said he was attacked because the Reddy brothers were apprehensive that the irregularities committed by the OMC would come to light in the wake of the survey.