The CBI today filed a chargesheet against former Karnataka Minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy and six others in an illegal mining scam,involving a firm owned by him that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 480 crore to the state exchequer. The seven accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy,criminal breach of trust,theft,forgery,falsification of accounts and section 13 1(D) of Prevention of Corruption Act,among other crimes. In the 28-page charge sheet filed along with over 18,000 supporting documents before a CBI court here,Reddy owned Associated Mining Corporation has been accused of carrying out illegal mining activities. The chargesheet has named Janardhana Reddy,his wife Lakshmi Aruna,former IAS officer and then Mines and Geology Directors M E Shivalingamurthy and S P Raju,Reddy's personal assistant Mehfuz Ali Khan,then Range Forest Officer Mahesh Patil and Deputy Conservator of Forest S Muthaiah. A CBI court had earlier dismissed bail petitions of Reddy,Mehfuz Ali Khan and three others arrested in the case on the ground that the accused had committed an economic offence of "high magnitude affecting the very economy of the country". The judge B M Angadi in his order stated ". as the matter is under investigation,the possibility of the accused persons tampering with the evidence or threatening the witnesses cannot be ruled out. having regard to the gravity of the offence and loss to the state government. the bail petitions are dismissed". The three others nabbed in the case are Muthaiah,Raju and Mahesh Patil. The court had earlier remanded the accused to judicial custody till June 5. After pronouncement of the verdict,the court adjourned the matter to June 5.
