Mining scam: Court grants bail to Srilakshmi

Senior IAS officer Y Srilakshmi arrested in connection with Obulapuram Mining Comaony (OMC) illegal mining case has been granted bail by a local court.

Srilakshmi,who is accused of favouring Gali Janardhana Reddy’s OMC in grant of mining leases in 2007,was arrested by CBI on Monday. Her bail plea says that she was only involved in processing of the file which led to issuance of the Government Order granting the lease. The lease had been provisionally granted by the Andhra Pradesh government one year before she took charge as secretary,Industries and Commerce,it says.

“The order was issued after approval by the then Andhra Pradesh Minister for Mines (Sabita Indra Reddy,currently the state Home Minister),” according to the bail application.

A 1988-batch IAS officer was sent to a 12-day judicial custody yesterday and was subsequently suspended by the Andhra Pradesh government.