The arrest of a senior 1989-batch IAS officer Gangaram Bhaderia on Monday by the Karnataka lokayukta Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the Janthakal mining case based on the report of former lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde has its political implications ahead of Assembly polls in 2018 which is crucial for the ruling Congress Government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The arrest of Bhadaria first serving senior IAS in Karnataka in the illegal mining case is going to be a political ploy and will have impact on the ensuing elections. Bhaderia, currently serves as Principal Secretary (Mujurai and stamping), was arrested by the SIT after questioning him in the illegal mining case.
According to KSR Charan Reddy, lokayukta IGP Bhaderia was produced before the lokayukta special court on Monday which remanded him in three days police custody. He was arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged irregularities of Janthakal enterprises when he was the commissioner of mines when HD Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister.
As per the directions by the Supreme court the lokayukta had registered the cases against former Chief Minister and JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and also against several officers in connection with the illegal mining case.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah denied any role in the arrest and said it was the lokayukta SIT arrested him as per the SC directions. He said in Bengaluru he was arrested based on investigation by the SIT. He said, “The Government has no role in it. It was done as per investigation taken up by Special Investigation Team (SIT) based on report submitted by lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on illegal iron ore mining in the State.”
The IAS official was arrested by SIT team and remanded in police custody till May 18 by the special court for allegedly allowing a mining company to lift iron ore and manganese from Chitradurga in Karnataka without obtaining clearance from Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
In the lokayukta report it was alleged that a forged letter directing the State to allow the lifting of ore by Vinod Goel of Janthakal Mining Company Private limited was used to commit the illegal act. The then lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde in his report had named apart from Baderia, former Chief Minister HD Kumara Swamy in the Jantakal Mining scam when illegally mined iron ore was permitted to be sold to a private company.