Accepting the specially empowered committee’s recommendations on illegal mining, the Supreme Court today asked the CBI to probe the illegal export of iron ore from Obulapuram by the Gali brothers.

The order of the Supreme Court comes as a further blow to the mining mafia don, Mr Gali Janardhan reddy who was already arrested by the CBI in the illegal mining case.

The apex court of the country also directed the premier investigating agency to submit a status report immediately on the progress of investigation being conducted into the illegal mining in Obulapuram mines.

“The link between Bellary and the mining activities in Obulapuram should be probed thoroughly as there was prima facie evidence to say that iron ore was illegally exported from Obulapuram by the Obulapuram Mining Company( OMC) and the Deccan Mining Company,” said the apex court in its order.

The court further directed the state governments of AP and Karnataka to conduct the mining activity through e-auctions henceforth with full transparency. “The entire illegal mining activity undertaken by the Gali brothers in both Karnataka and AP should be probed,” said the order.