Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday night arrested Anil lad, a Congress MlA from Ballari, for questioning in connection with the illegal export of more than 15,000 tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri port near Karwar in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
lad was produced before a CBI special court on Thursday and was remanded to CBI custody till July 20 in connection with the illegal export of iron ore allegedly to Mallikharjuna Shipping company.
The CBI had sought the details of shipment in which lad allegedly supplied iron ore illegaly in 2010 during the the investigation. According to CBI sources Anil lad has failed to provide any details, and has been arrested. CBI sources hinted that there could be more arrests as they have issued notices to several mining companies that allegedly exported iron ore illegally from Mangaluru and Karwar ports between April 20076 and December 2010.
The Rs16,085-crore illegal mining scam had rocked the then BJP Government and now it has claimed its first Congress scalp. lad was denied a birth in Siddaramaiah cabinet on the grounds that his name figured in the CBI First Information Report on the scam.
Former lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde who blew the lid off the mining scam, says he was happy that CBI was taking action on his report.
The illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district was exposed by former lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, who in his report had said that 7.74 million tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported between 2006-2007 and 2010-11, causing huge loss to the exchequer.