Mining scam: CBI names IAS officer as 6th accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation has submitted an additional charge sheet in the Obulapuram mining case, adding the name of the suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi as the sixth accused.

In the 439-page additional charge sheet, filed before the CBI special court on Friday, the agency has also included the names of the state home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and another IAS office, Anil Subramaniam as witnesses.

The CBI told that the court that it has still not got the central government's nod to prosecute the IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who is in the Chanchalguda jail.

The CBI has booked cases under Section 420 as well as many sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the IAS officer, who as the then principal secretary in the mining department and had played a crucial role in issuing a government order allotting the land in Anantapur district to Obulapuram Mining Company of the former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.

The CBI has already arrested Gali Janardhan Reddy and managing director of his company Srinivasulu Reddy and the then state director of mining, D V Rajagopal.

The CBI has charged Srilakshmi and Rajagopal with criminal conspiracy and cheating the state government by removing the word 'captive' for the GO enabling the OMC to illegally export the iron ore extracted from the mines in Anantapur district.

Meanwhile, in another development a team of CBI officials on Friday questioned Y Srilakshmi in Chanchalguda women's jail in connection with the disproportionate assets of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, son of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.