Hyderabad: Education minister P. Sabitha Indira Reddy, who is accused of allocating iron ore mining leases to Gali Janardhan Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) when she was minister for mines, on Friday submitted to the Telangana High Court that she had nothing to do with allocations. She said she had signed files, which were prepared by officials, and had never written recommendations or refusals.
She argued before the court in the criminal revision petition filed by her, challenging the refusal of orders of the CBI court, to discharge her from the case registered by the CBI in the OMC illegal mining issue.
Senior counsel E. Umamaheshwara Rao, representing the minister, submitted that his client was an innocent housewife, who was oblivious of administration. She was guided by bureaucrats in her department and signed files which they brought to her table, Rao argued.
Further, he submitted that CBI had named her an accused in the third supplementary chargesheet, whereas the investigation only mentioned as a witness. The court adjourned further hearing to February 17.
In another criminal revision petition filed by V.D. Rajagopal, former director of mining, who is a co-accused in the OMC illegal mining case, the High Court reserved the orders as the arguments were concluded by the counsels of Rajagopal and CBI.
