BJP MLA Anand Singh arrested

CBI arrested him at Bangalore international airport on Thursday morning

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested Anand Singh, legislator from Vijayanagara Assembly Constituency in Bellary district and former BJP minister in connection with the on-going investigation relating to alleged illegalities in he export of iron-ore from Belekeri Port in Karnakata. He was arrested at the Bengaluru International Airport immediately after he arrived from Singapore this morning.

The CBI had registered the case on September 13, 2012, under sections 120-B r/w 420, 379, 411, 447 IPC, U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 and sections 21 r/w 4(1), 4(1)(A) & 23 of the Mines & Minerals (Development and Regu-lation) Act, 1957 and Section 24 of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963 on the directions of the Supreme Court in a Writ Petition (Civil) 562 of 2009 and other connected matters to investigate into the illegalities committed by various persons in the matter of export of iron ore from Belekeri Port in Karnataka, the CBI said in a statement.

A month ago, the CBI had summoned Anand Singh along with three other legislators. While the others appeared for investigation, Anand Singh had fled to Singapore to avoid arrest by the CBI.

His anticipatory bail plea was rejected on October 7 and the CBI was looking for him. The central agency had summoned Singh for questioning in September, but he had failed to turn up and fled reportedly to Singapore from where he filed an anticipatory bail application before the CBI court on medical grounds, fearing arrest.

It was alleged that Singh, the proprietor of Hospet-based Vaishnavi Minerals and partner of another Hospet-based private minerals company S B Minerals, had allowed illegal excavation of iron ore from their plot to the tune of 131,000 tonnes and sold the same to Bangalore-based firm Shaktipriya Enterprises, which in turn sold the same to other Hospet-based firms without permits by taking cash, for the purpose of export from Belekeri Port.He was produced before the designated court in Bangalore and he has been remanded to CBI custody till October 26.

The CBI is further investigating the case. The CBI has already arrested B Nagendra and Satish Sail, both independent MLAs and Suresh Babu of BSR Congress headed by former minister B Sreeramulu.