The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court on environment and forest, in its preliminary report submitted to the apex court has confirmed that prima facie there was illegal mining beyond the limits of leased lands, in violation of the forest conservation act by Reddy's companies.
In a relief to former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, the high court on Thursday stated that he cannot be arrested in connection with the illegal mining scam. Justice B V Pinto while hearing a petition filed by Kumaraswamy challenging proceedings against him in the mining case, however, stated that the investigation would continue.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday alleged that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy issued "illegal" red sand mining licenses to his MP son, relatives and some benami holders, and that huge amount of "hawala" funds generated from this mining business was used to purchase companies abroad.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of patronising illegal mining in Karnataka, the Congress on Thursday demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. With the state Lokayukta report indicting the state government over the issue, Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said, "Yeddyurappa must immediately resign from his post". "All these things are already in the public domain but now the Lokayukta has indicted the chief minister," he said.
The mining scam had first rocked Karnataka and now Goa. While the mess in Karnataka is well known, the scenario in Goa is no different. The Central Empowered Committee in its interim report on illegal mining in Goa has found various illegalities in its detailed report, a copy of which is with Rediff.com.
Lokayukta sources said much of the findings are already in the public domain as the report was leaked.
Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Thursday said that the officials from state mines and geology department protecting illegal mines, will be dealt with stern punishment.
Besides Yadav, the CBI is likely to question Gayatri Prajapati, who was arrested in 2017 following a complaint of rape by a woman residing in Chitrakoot.
The Central Bureau of Investigation filed its first information report (FIR) against former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday in the illegal mining case.
Six people, including four members of a family, were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Hazaribag district, Jharkhand. The elephants had been roaming the area for days, and villagers were warned, but attempts to flee proved fatal. Compensation has been initiated for the victims' families.
The CEC gave its latest report to the Supreme Court on Thursday.
The ongoing probe into illegal mining in Karnataka have revealed some startling facts, including the fact that transportation of ore has gone up two folds after the ban on it was imposed.
Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Thursday again turned the heat on the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, accusing it of inaction on the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee's report on illegal mining.
A CBI team arrived in the mining town on Thursday morning and began inquiries. The CBI inquiry comes after complaints that the Reddy-owned Obalipuram Mining Company was undertaking operations illegally in Bellary.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Friday dismissed the bail pleas of former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy, arrested in connection with alleged illegal mining activities.
Former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy and six others were Monday charge sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a court in Bangalore in connection with alleged illegal mining of iron ore which caused a loss of Rs 198 crore to the exchequer.
Illegal mining has been a hot debating point for the past couple of years. In Karnataka especially, the scam is of such magnitude that many powerful persons have had their heads on the chopping block and in the months to come there will be many more to follow. In this two-part series, we take a close look at this dirty scam, which spreads across various parts of the country, especially at Goa and also Rajasthan
Besides ammonium nitrate, police also seized a large quantity of explosive accessories, including nine cartons of detonators, 12 cartons and 15 bundles of blue fuse wire, and 12 cartons and five bundles of red fuse wire, officials said.
Goa Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday told the state legislative assembly that it can be 'inferred' that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat might have been involved in illegal mining activities.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismisses speculation of a power struggle within the Congress party and addresses concerns regarding the Hate Speech Bill.
Villagers protesting against the expansion of a coal mine clashed with police in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, resulting in injuries on both sides. The protest stems from opposition to the Amera extension coal project of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), despite the land acquisition process being completed in 2016.
The Karnataka cabinet has raised certain questions regarding the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. The cabinet is supposed to file an action take report before the Lokayukta.
The Karnataka government would abide by the Supreme Court decision on the recommendation of Central Empowered Committee to extend Central Bureau of Investigation probe into illegal mining in the state, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said on Friday.
Sticking to its stand, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka on Saturday asserted that it would not entrust the probe into the illegal mining issue to the Central Bureau of Investigation, but said a report would be submitted to the Supreme Court on the issues raised by a committee appointed by the apex court.
There was hue and cry over the Lokayukta report on illegal mining in Bellary, and in even went on to cost B S Yeddyurappa his chair as the chief minister of Karnataka. But today the entire focus is on Goa which, according to the preliminary report of the Shah commission, gives the indication that illegal mining in the tourist haven is nothing short of the Bellary scenario.
The row over former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde's insinuation that illegal mining was akin to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's dealings escalated on Tuesday with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar calling it 'baseless and unwarranted' and also far from reality.
CBI sources say that they have information that 50 lakh metric tons of iron ore has been mined in various parts of the state and the value of the same is Rs 2500 crore.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for over nine-and-half-hours on Thursday in connection with its investigation into an alleged illegal mining case.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of private complaint and probe by Lokayukta police against him over alleged illegal mining during his tenure as the Karnataka chief minister from 1999 to 2004.
Parliament was on Wednesday adjourned till noon after ruckus over demand by Bahujan Samaj Party for dismissal of Karnataka government following allegations of illegal mining in the state and Rashtriya Janata Dal claims of a deal between the government and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.
The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee on Friday said that large-scale illegal mining was going on in Karnataka, particularly in Bellary district, in connivance with officials and public representatives.A special forest bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia issued a notice to the state government and sought its response on various findings in the CEC's interim report, including the export of 304.91 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore without valid permit.
Close on the heels of the murder of an IPS officer by an alleged mining mafia, unidentified men on Saturday opened fire at police team which had gone to Ajaygarh to probe illegal mining in the area, said the police. After receiving reports on illegal sand mining in Ajaygarh, 40 km from Panna, a team led by Sub Divisional Officer of Police J S Markam went to spot to check out the facts, said the police. According to the police, the illegal miners opened fire on the police.
A first information report was registered against External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and two other former Karnatka chief ministers by the Lokayukta police on Thursday on a private complaint alleging that they facilitated illegal mining during their tenure
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party members on Friday walked out of the Goa assembly protesting the speaker's action of not considering the Public Accounts Committee's report on the illegal mining in the state.
The Public Accounts Committee of Goa assembly has recommended an enquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation or the lokayukta against all those indicted by it in the illegal mining cases.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has directed Karunakar Reddy, one of the mining tycoons-turned-politicians Reddy brothers of Bellary, to appear before it on September 16 in connection with the illegal mining case.
The Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday stayed a Central Bureau of Investigation's inquiry into the alleged illegal mining by the Obulapuram Mining Company, owned by Karnataka Tourism Minister G Janardhan Reddy and his family.
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the controversy surrounding the definition of Aravalli hills and is scheduled to hear the matter. The court had previously accepted a uniform definition and banned fresh mining leases in the area.
'The jail staff told me Kasab was served only jail food and not biryani.' 'They told me that Kasab was beaten regularly after court proceedings.' 'And they filled Kasab's bottle with urine so that whenever he felt thirsty he used to drink urine.'
Hearing a PIL on the suspension of the woman IAS officer, the Lucknow bench of the court comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and Ashok Pal Singh fixed August 19 as the next date of hearing
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