SC orders probe against illegal mining in Bellary

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a probe by its committee into alleged illegal mining in Bellary and other forest areas of Karnataka.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia asked the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee to conduct the probe and file its report within six weeks.

The court passed the order on an oral mention made by advocate Prashant Bhushan who said that the report of the Karnataka Lokayukta clearly stated that mining activities were being carried not only illegally but also stretched to areas categorised as forest land.

“Rampant illegal mining is going on in Karnataka and the same has been recorded by detailed report of Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde,” he pleaded before a bench also comprising justices Aftab Alam and K.S. Radhakrishanan.

Earlier, the bench had directed the CEC to probe the Andhra Pradesh side of the Bellary region.