Former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde has demanded that the implementation of the mining report be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Justice Hegde said that he has faith in the Supreme Court, which is apprised of the extent of illegal mining in the Bellary-Hospet-Sandur area.
"I have faith in the Supreme Court and if the apex court hands over the illegal mining report to the CBI then one can expect some justice. The state government will not take the step despite the fact that it needs a comprehensive probe by a central investigating agency," said the former Lokayukta, who had authored the 25,000-page mining report, which claimed its first biggest casualty in the former chief minister B.S. Yedyurappa, who now faces arrest under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He had earlier expressed his doubts on the committee set up by the government to implement the Lokayukta’s second mining report.
Commenting on the arrest of former tourism minister G. Janardhana Reddy by the CBI, Justice Hegde said the state government should have acted on his first mining report of 2008 and asked Reddy to step down from the Cabinet.
"My first report had indicted the Reddy brothers in the illegal mining scam and for violating inter-state boundaries between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh but the government didn’t act on it. The impact would have been less if they had acted responsibly and taken correctional steps then," said the former Lokayukta.
Justice Hegde however clarified that Reddy’s arrest was not a result of his mining report.
"The Andhra Pradesh high court had handed over the Obulapuram Mining Company’s involvement in illegal mining scam to the CBI, which is also probing into the disproportionate assets of Jagan Reddy (Kadappa MP)," said Justice Hegde.