A CBI team on Tuesday inspected the sites where Obulapuram Mining Company, owned by the Reddy brothers — ministers and mining magnates, holds three licences and faces allegations of illegal mining.
The team also inspected areas where another firm, Y Mahabaleshwarappa and Sons, holds a mining lease, official sources said.
The team, assisted by officials from the departments of mines, Geology, Forest and Revenue of both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, recorded statements of senior officials of the firms.
Led CBI DIG D V Lakshminarayan, the team is expected to conduct similar exercises in respect of OMC's sister concern Ananthapur mining company and another firm, the sources said.
The CBI inspection comes in the wake of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee submitting its report last week.
The CEC was asked to examine whether mining was going on in the forest area of Bellary region in Ananthapur district comprising border areas of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and if so, what action should be taken to stop it.
The CEC had recommended cancellation of mining lease to Reddy brothers' firms in Andhra Pradesh, saying their mining company had flouted various environmental laws in its operations.
It also slammed Andhra Pradesh government officials, saying the violations could not have taken place without their connivance.
The high-powered panel, which submitted its report to the apex court, recommended cancellation of the lease to four different mines, spread over 140 acres, on grounds of large scale illegal mining in bellary reserve forest area.
The report has been termed as biased by Janardhana Reddy who along with his brother Karunakara has repeatedly come under attack from the opposition on illegal mining.