JOIN USThe petitioners had moved the HC over the State Government’s FIR alleging illegal mining outside their allocated areas. Mentioning that they have been mining within the legally leased area, they have termed as “illegal and politically motivated” the State Government order to stop mining activities dated August 30.
They have stated that the respondents, forester, DBM Division, Sandur and RFO Sandur have filed an FIR against them in JMF Court Sandur on the instigation of the Tourism minister as the petitioners had participated in the ‘Padayatra’ organised by the Congress party.
The petitioners cited a statement by the Tourism minister at a gathering on August 7, wherein he had stated that the petitioners will be indicted in forest offence cases and would be handcuffed by law enforcement agencies. The petitioners said that despite there being no evidence against them, the State has filed an FIR and have seized the mining equipment from them.
They submitted that they have a steel plant at Paramenahalli at Hiriyur in Chitradurga along with four MW co-generation plant and a sponge iron unit, which employs about 10,000 persons.