The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Lokayukta, probing the illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port, arrested G.M. Lingaraju, younger brother of Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Davangere MP G.M. Siddeshwar on Saturday.
He was produced before the Lokayukta Special Court and remanded in judicial custody till April 28 and is now lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison Complex. The G.M. Lingaraju owned company, GEM Laboratories, a food and beverages export firm, is accused of exporting 12,500 tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri port in 2009–10, without proper documents.
An official leading the probe said that of the many consignments that the company shipped out, six of them had no documentation at all and this was considered to be illegal export after the firm failed to produce any documentation to the contrary.
The SIT had summoned Mr. Lingaraju for questioning on Saturday and later arrested him after he failed to submit documents that accounted for the 12,500 tonnes of illegal export of iron ore.
His company, GEM Laboratories, is accused of exporting 12,500 tonnes of iron ore without proper documents
