New Delhi, March 23: In a major setback to Karnataka’s Ministers-cum-mining magnates, the Reddy brothers, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed all their mining operations in Andhra Pradesh.
Despite stiff opposition from the Reddy brothers, a Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Deepak Verma appointed a high-level committee headed by the Survey of India (SI) to verify allegations of large-scale encroachment by the Ministers, who own the Obulapuram Mining Company.
“On your own, you should have offered yourself to inquiry and come clean,” the Bench said while snapping at senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who alleged an orchestrated campaign in the media to discredit the Reddy brothers.
The alleged encroachments include certain reserve forest areas in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
The apex court said the committee would include officials from the State Forest, Mines and Revenue departments, besides representatives of the Reddy brothers who could present their views to the panel. The panel should submit its report within two weeks, the Bench said.
—-PTI–