CBI files chargesheet against Gali Janardhan Reddy, 3 others

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed its first chargesheet against former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and three others in the illegal iron ore mining scam that spans across Andhra Pradesh, having its origin in Karnataka.

The chargesheet has been filed under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13(2 ) read with 13(1)(d)(criminal misconduct) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

While Janardhan Reddy, owner of the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) is the prime accused, others named in the chargesheet include B V Srinivasa Reddy, managing director of OMC, V D Rajagopal, then director, Mines & Geology of the Andhra government, and a former lower level official of the same department who has died.

Interestingly, the name of serving senior IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, which figured in the FIR and was freed on bail yesterday after spending a couple of days in police custody, has not been included in the chargesheet.

Explaining the reasons for not including her name, VV Lakshminarayana, joint director, CBI, said the agency was yet to get the sanction of her prosecution from the Centre.

“Under section 19 (All India Service Rules), sanction for her prosecution is required. Apart from this, we need to confirm the details gathered from the officer during the interrogation. As the investigation progresses, we may file supplementary chargesheets naming other people,” he said.

CBI on Saturday sought the court's permission to continue the investigation into the case.

The 186-page chargesheet is supported by as many as 607 documents running into over 60,000 pages, along with the statements made by 201 witnesses in this case.