Major Verdict in Obulapuram Illegal Mining Case: CBI Court Sentences Five, Including Former Andhra Mines Director, to 7 Years RI
Judicial Quest News Network)
Hyderabad,6, May,2025- In a landmark judgment, the Special Judge for CBI Cases, Hyderabad, today (06.05.2025) sentenced five individuals, including V.D. Rajgopal, former Director of Mines & Geology, Government of Andhra Pradesh; Gali Janardhan Reddy, then Director; and B.V. Srinivasa Reddy, then Managing Director of M/s Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt. Ltd. (OMCPL), Bellary, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI).
Among the convicted are also Mahfooz Ali Khan, former partner of M/s Devi Enterprises, Bellary, and the accused company M/s Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt. Ltd. The court imposed a total fine of ₹1.4 lakh, including ₹1 lakh on the company, in connection with illegal mining operations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case on 08.12.2009, alleging that the accused conspired to conduct illegal iron ore mining by unlawfully trespassing on government and privately owned lands, causing a staggering loss of over ₹800 crore to the government.
Following an extensive investigation, the CBI filed its first chargesheet on 03.12.2011, subsequently submitting three supplementary chargesheets. After a detailed trial, the court found the accused guilty and handed down the sentences accordingly.
