BALLARI : The man who waged legal battle for the last 19 years in bringing the accused to justice in Obulapuram illegal mining case, activist Tapal Ganesh, has many reasons to be satisfied.
He said that the CBI court’s verdict is a lesson to all those politicians who are involved in illegal activities.
Tapal said he lost his grandfather’s land in 2006 due to illegal mining. Janardhana Reddy acquired over 4,000 hectare of land in the interstate border of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the name of mining, he said.
In 2006 Tapal filed a case in the Supreme Court and in 2009 Obulapuram Mining Company was closed as per the SC order. In 2011, the CBI arrested Reddy from his Ballari house.
Tapal said that the court verdict has given him new hope. “It’s a lesson to all who misuse power. As per the CBI documents, more than 23 lakh tons mining ore was worth Rs 884.13 crore. The court verdict has raised questions over his political career,” he said.
He told the TNIE, “In 2006 I filed case against him. I told him that Obulapuram mining case will put him in jail. Now that has happened. My ancestors are from Obulapuram and Mallapangudi area near Obulapuram. Janardhana Reddy and his associates illegally acquired land for mining. After he became minister in 2008 using his power, he changed interstate borders and in 2009 after I submitted evidence to the SC the Obulapuram Mining Company was closed.
An inquiry committee set up by the then Andhra Pradesh government led by K Rosaiah, Reddy was mentioned as culprit. But he wriggled out due to changing political equations. After CBI arrested him in 2011, he protested his innocence. Now the CBI special court has convicted him. If he goes for appeal to higher court, I will again fight him,” said the activist.