Bellary: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has chargeheeted senior port officers of Karnataka and forest officers of Ankola division, besides Ajay Kharabanda, managing director of Greentex Mining Industries in Bengaluru for alleged involvement in the Belekeri port iron ore export scam.
Facing charges of conspiring to illegally export 3,4,555 metric tonnes of iron ore from the Belekeri port are the then Deputy Port Conservator, Belekeri, Mahesh Biliye , former port officer, Karwar Port, Captain C. Swamy , then assistant conservator of forests, Ankola sub- division, Narendra Hittalamakki, and former range forest range officer, Ankola, C G Nayak. The men will be tried by the CBI special court in Bengaluru where the chargesheets have been filed.
The illegally mined ore was seized by the state forest department in March 2010 and handed over to the port authorities for safe custody, but went missing later, sending shock waves in the industry and surprising the authorities concerned.
The CBI, which was asked to investigate the matter, registered a case on September 2012 on the directions of the Supreme Court and later arrested Captain Swamy, Hittalamakki and Nayak for involvement in the scam.
It is alleged the trio took a bribe of about Rs 5 lakh each to issue permits for exporting the iron ore, which was supposed to be stored at the port pending investigation. More arrests are expected as the CBI is still in the process of examining the role of other exporters and officers in the scam.
