Mining scam: Lokayukta court rejects IAS officer’s bail plea
BENGALURU: The Lokayukta Special Court on Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Additional Chief Secretary Mahendra Jain, Urban Development Department, in connection with the illegal export of iron ore. Jain is likely to approach the High Court for relief.
Jain had approached the special court for relief as the Special Investigation Team, attached to Lokayukta, is probing his role in causing a loss of several crores to the state when he was the Managing Director of Mysore Minerals Limited (MML), a public enterprise. According to sources in the SIT, Jain is one among the half-a-dozen managing directors of MML who are accused of causing a loss of `549 crore by showing undue favour to private companies to export iron ore.
The allegations against the the managing directors of MML was highlighted in the report on illegal mining submitted by then Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde. Jain pleaded before the Lokayukta court that he was exonerated in a report given by MML to the government after going through Justice Hegde’s report. But, Special Public Prosecutor C Govindan, representing SIT, argued that MML’s report exonerating Jain was not approved by the State Government. It is mandated that the report be accepted by the cabinet otherwise Jain cannot claim the benefit of the report, he argued.
HC to hear HDK’s bail plea today
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s anticipatory bail plea will be heard by Justice Rathnakala on Tuesday. The judge had ordered SIT not to arrest the JD(S) state president till Tuesday during the last hearing. Kumaraswamy’s anticipatory bail plea was earlier rejected by the Lokayukta Special Court.
‘Give report on revival of Kolar gold mines’
As Bharat Gold Mines Ltd sought four more months to complete an ongoing survey, the High Court on Monday adjourned the issue on reviving Kolar gold mines. During the hearing, the counsel of Bharat Gold Mines submitted that the Ministry of Mines has decided to appoint a firm to submit a report on the matter and it would be submitted in nine months. The judge said the report shold be given sooner.