Rajagopal files for bail in illegal mining case

He was arrested last month and is accused along with others of allowing mining in “encroached” land in the Bellary Reserve Forest area,construction of roads through forest and encroachment on neighbouring leases on the Anantapur-Bellary border.

Rajagopal was director of the Mines and Geology department when the mining lease was granted to OMC in 2005. His bail petition was earlier rejected by the court on November 29.

Gali Janardhana Reddy,his brother-in-law and OMC Managing Director B V Srinivasa Reddy are among the other accused in the case. They too are in judicial custody and currently lodged in Chanchalguda jail.

OMC is accused of changing mining lease boundary markings in Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border area and of illegal mining in Bellary Reserve Forest area.

Meanwhile,the CBI today filed its counter on the bail petition of Koneru Prasad,chairman of the Trimex Group,arrested in connection with the APIIC-Emaar land deal case.

Prasad is accused of roping in group company Emaar MGF Land as a co-developer for the township at Gadchibowli which in turn resulted in reduction of stake and loss to Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

The special CBI court has posted the the case for hearing tomorrow.