Hyderabad, November 30: IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who was arrested in the Gali Janardhana Reddy illegal mining case on Monday, has agreed to become a witness in the case.
Accused of favouring Gali’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) by overlooking other bidders for giving mining licences in Anantapuram district, Srilakshmi is learnt to have told the CBI that former minister for mines and geology P Sabita Indra Reddy, who is Home Minister now, pressured her to sign and even “speed up the files” for allotting 68 hectares and later 32 hectares land to OMC for mining.
Srilakshmi, who was remanded in three days CBI custody on Tuesday, is also learnt to have told the investigating agency that she “felt that there was pressure on Sabita Indra Reddy from late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and some of his family members to favour OMC”.
Based on information given by witnesses and files seized by the CBI, officials have already interviewed Home Minister Reddy about her role in the illegal mining case. Officials said that the files that the minister submitted to the CBI first indicated that it was Srilakshmi who signed on all the Government Orders giving licences to OMC. However, Srilakshmi is learnt to have confessed that she did so under “tremendous pressure” from her higher ups including former chief secretary M G V K Bhanu, retired, and currently chairman of Tea Board, Kolkata.
IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who was arrested in the Gali Janardhana Reddy illegal mining case on Monday, has agreed to become a witness in the case.
Accused of favouring Gali’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) by overlooking other bidders for giving mining licences in Anantapuram district, Srilakshmi is learnt to have told the CBI that former minister for mines and geology P Sabita Indra Reddy, who is Home Minister now, pressured her to sign and even “speed up the files” for allotting 68 hectares and later 32 hectares land to OMC for mining.
Srilakshmi, who was remanded in three days CBI custody on Tuesday, is also learnt to have told the investigating agency that she “felt that there was pressure on Sabita Indra Reddy from late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and some of his family members to favour OMC”.
Based on information given by witnesses and files seized by the CBI, officials have already interviewed Home Minister Reddy about her role in the illegal mining case. Officials said that the files that the minister submitted to the CBI first indicated that it was Srilakshmi who signed on all the Government Orders giving licences to OMC. However, Srilakshmi is learnt to have confessed that she did so under “tremendous pressure” from her higher ups including former chief secretary M G V K Bhanu, retired, and currently chairman of Tea Board, Kolkata.
–Agencies–