Industrialist sent to police remand in mining scam

A vigilance court here today remanded industrialist Deepak Gupta in police custody till September 11 and sought documents in connection with his alleged involvement in illegal mining activities in mineral rich Keonjhar district.
Special vigilance court judge Balakrushna Mohapatra also accepted a petition of the investigating agency which wanted to take Gupta to remand for further interrogation. Gupta was taken to the State Vigilance Headquarters at Cuttack.
The court fixed the next date of hearing on Gupta's bail petition on September 11.
Vigilance sleuths yesterday arrested Gupta from an undisclosed destination. Gupta, an accused in the Rs 840 crore illegal mining scam, was on the run ever since vigilance department registered cases against him and his family members.

Gupta, as the power of attorney holder of B K Mohanty iron ore mines at Uliburi under Joda mining circle in Keonjhar district, however, claimed he was innocent. "Cases against me are fabricated," Gupta told reporters.
Besides Gupta, cases had been filed against Champak Gupta, Directors of M/s Snehapusph Marketing Pvt Ltd, Hari Charan Gupta, Kanta Devi Gupta and Nitu Gupta, all directors of M/s Deepak Steel and Power Limited, officials said.

This apart, charges had also been made against other public servants for illegal mining and theft of iron ore from Uliburu Iron Ore Mines and Reserve Forest Area causing loss of over Rs 839 crore to government exchequer, they said.

Earlier, the vigilance had arrested mines lesssee B K Mohanty on charge of illegal activities. After spending a fortnight in jail, Mohanty has secured bail from High Court.
The state government has, meanwhile, placed two IFS officers under suspension on charge of not taking any action as the divisional forest officer of Keonjhar division when Gupta and others illegally excavated iron ore from reserve forest area at Uliburu.