Hyderabad, Sep 15 : The CBI, probing the alleged illegal mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), today issued notices to five persons, including former Karnataka minister Gali Karunakara Reddy, officials said today.
Karunakara Reddy is the brother of mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, already arrested by the Central agency in connection with alleged illegal mining.
Karunakara Reddy and four others have been asked to appear before the CBI on September 16 and they are likely to be examined in connection with the case, officials said.
Janardhana Reddy and Managing Director of OMC B V Srinivas Reddy were arrested on September 5 by a CBI team at Bellary in Karnataka after searches were conducted at their premises in connection with alleged illegal mining activities.
Following allegations of large scale illegal mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to OMC in Bellary Reserve Forest area in Obulapuram and Malpanagudi villages of Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district, the CBI had registered a case against OMC on December 7, 2009.
Three mining leases were granted to OMC and another one to Anantapur Mining Corporation, both owned by Janardhana Reddy. Reddy brothers and their confidant B Sriramulu have not been included in the Cabinet led by Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, in the wake of their names figuring in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
Meanwhile, the CBI today continued interrogation of both the accused—Janardhana Reddy and Srinivas Reddy—for the second day in presence of their defence counsels.
The CBI started questioning them both yesterday after securing permission from the special court of CBI cases here for their custodial interrogation till September 19. PTI
