Ballari: After the arrest of Congress MLA from Ballari city Mr Anil H. Lad in connection with the infamous Belekeri port iron ore export scam, the big question in the local mining industry is whether the CBI will go after Adani Enterprises owned by Mr Gautam Adani, who is said to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while investigating the Belekeri port export scam.
According to reliable sources, as many as fifty heads of major iron ore export companies could be in the dock with the Economic Offences Wing of the CBI, Chennai registering 22 FIRs in the last week of October 2013 on the port scam.
Officers of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the CBI from New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai have been roped in to probe the export scam considering the large number of financial offences involved.
As per the Supreme Court Constituted Central Empowered Committee’s report, Gautam Adani owned Adani Enterprises was prima facie found to have exported 50704.200 metric tonnes of ore illegally from Belekeri.
The CBI has initiated probe against these companies as they have allegedly exported over 50,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined iron ore. Together, these firms are supposed to have exported around 21 lakh metric tonnes of illegally mined ore.
Prior to registering these 22 FIRS in October 2013, the CBI had registered five FIRs in September 2012 on the illegal export of 50 lakh metric tones of iron ore from Belekeri port to probe major four companies which had allegedly illegally exported iron ore from Belekeri port without valid permits between January 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010.
In connection with these five FIRs, CBI arrested 26 individuals including former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and sitting MLAs, Anand Singh, B. Nagendra, T.H. Suresh Babu, all associated with the BJP.
The Central Empowered Committee, which was constituted by the Supreme Court, had given its report to the apex court on September 5, 2012, recommending action against the mining companies, owners and government officials, who were allegedly involved in the scam.
The SC has made it clear that the CBI need not take prior permission from the Karnataka government before registering criminal cases against officers involved in the scam.
Lad brothers helped Congress govt come to power: B. Sriramulu
Coming down heavily on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ballari MP Mr B. Sriramulu has said the true colours of the Congress party have been exposed with the arrest of Ballari city Congress MLA Anil Lad in connection with an illegal ore export case. Mr Lad had accompanied then leader of the opposition in the assembly Mr Siddaramaiah when he took out a padayatra from Bengaluru to Ballari alleging illegal mining during the tenure BJP government.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Sriramulu said Mr Siddaramaiah was behaving like Sathya Harishchandra by alleging that BJP legislators were involved in illegal mining and they formed the government in 2008 with money earned from this scam.
“Now, Anil Lad is in CBI custody, it shows that the money earned by the Lad brothers from illegal mining was used to help the Congress come to power in 2013”, he remarked, adding, “It is now proved that all are equal before the law and even Siddaramaiah came to power with the help of illegal mining money”.
The BJP state president Mr Prahlad Joshi said he does not want to react to the arrest but was surprised to see Mr Siddaramaiah acting like he does not know anything about the CBI arresting Mr Lad. “At least now, the CM should realise that the CBI has Congress leaders who indulged in illegal mining under its scanner”, he added.
