From philanthropy to politics to jail appears to be case of B.S. Anand Singh, two-time BJP MLA from Vijayanagar constituency and a former Minister.
Mr. Singh, wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with illegal transport/export of illegal iron ore from Belikeri port, was arrested at the international airport in Bangalore immediately on his return from Singapore on Thursday.
Hailing from the SVK family, which is into bus transport service at Hospet, and also mining, Mr. Singh became a household name in Hospet taluk, and also in other parts of the district, for his philanthropic gestures, which included extending financial assistance to the poor suffering from heart-related diseases.
He has entered into a tie-up with Narayana Hrudayalaya, set up an eye bank at Narayana Netralaya in Bangalore, and has taken up schemes for mentally retarded children.
All these are in addition to distribution of books to the poor, payment of fees for the needy to continue their education, distribution of saris on his birthdays, donations for public causes and religious functions.
He has donated three ambulances for the benefit of the poor in and around Kampli town.
It was the jailed mining baron and former Minister G. Janardhan Reddy who thought of inducting Mr. Singh into the BJP and also fielding him as the party candidate from Vijayanagar to cash in on the latter’s popularity.
Mr. Reddy’s plan clicked when Mr. Singh won the 2008 elections, in his maiden attempt, with a margin of 26,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Mr. Singh, who was into mining business, was accused of encroaching upon mining areas adjacent to mining leases and his name got dragged into illegal mining cases between 2008 and 2010.
His name, and also of his mining firm, found a mention in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
When the CBI began investigating the illegal export of ore from Belikeri port, as per the direction of the Supreme Court, the investigative agency listed Mr. Singh as a witness.
Later, when investigation made progress, the CBI had obtained evidence to show that Mr. Singh’s company, Vaishnavi Minerals, too had supplied illegal ore to two companies.
But Mr. Singh, when summoned for questioning, went to Singapore and applied for an anticipatory bail through his counsel, which, however, was rejected by the CBI Special Court. Left with no alternative, Mr. Singh decided to surrender and returned to India.
