HC stays probe into OMC mines

The mining baron, Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy, got a breather from the AP High Court which on Monday stayed all further proceedings on a probe ordered by the Centre into the alleged illegal mining operations of Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC).

Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy allowed a miscellaneous petition filed by the OMC. The judge ruled that the interim stay would continue till the disposal of the writ petitions in this regard. He dismissed a CBI petition against an earlier interim stay on the probe.

The judge observed that public interest will not be affected if the CBI was not permitted to conduct a parallel investigation to find out whether the OMC and Bellary Iron Ore Private Limited have crossed their boundaries and are carrying on illegal mining.

Referring to the SC direction which permitted the OMC to mine, the judge pointed out if the Supreme Court felt that it would be against public interest, the mining company would not have been given permission. The court held that if the CBI is permitted to continue its investigation, it would cause irreparable injury to the petitioner as the boundary row is yet to be resolved.