No headway in mining cases as former minister and 20 MLAs behind jailed

Bellary: A former minister, four MLAs and 20 others have been behind bars for two years for their alleged involvement in illegal mining being investigated by the CBI, but the trials in their cases have still made no headway. The agency filed chargesheets against them before the special court nearly two years ago, but the trials are merely hobbling along.

Although the CBI has seven special courts in the state, they also deal with several other cases being investigated by the agency under the Prevention of Corruption Act, point out official sources. In the absence of a special designated court dealing exclusively with mining cases, the trials are bound to be delayed, they maintain.

Officers of the CBI, Bengaluru investigated alleged illegal mining by former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy’s Associated Mining Company, Rajendra Jain’s Deccan Mining Syndicate, a mining bribery case against former Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa and five cases of illicit iron ore export from Belekeri port.

Since then, languishing behind bars are Mr Reddy, Mr Jain, MLAs Anand Singh of Hospet, T. H. Suresh Babu of Kampli, B. Nagendra of Kudligi, Mr Satish Sail of Karwar, two IFS officers, S Muthaiah, and M. K. Shukla and several ore traders, exporters and their associates.

With judicial proceedings in any case extending for five years on an average under the Prevention of Corruption Act, legal experts believe the state government should constitute a special designated court for trying the mining cases against them on a day to day basis for their speedy disposal, warning that the inordinate delay will be an impediment in the fight against corruption.