CBI arrests BJP MLA in iron ore export scam

BJP MLA and former minister Anand Singh was arrested by CBI at the international airport today as he arrived here from abroad, for his alleged role in illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port in Karnataka.

Singh's arrest came weeks after CBI had stepped up search to apprehend him and issued a look-out notice even as the CBI court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea on October 7.

He was produced before Special CBI Court Judge Somaraju who remanded him to CBI custody till October 26, agency officials told PTI here.

Singh was in Singapore and had later flown to London last month, sources close to the MLA said.

Singh is the fourth MLA to be arrested by CBI in the case after B Nagendra and Satish Sail, both independents, and Suresh Babu of BSR Congress headed by former minister B Sriramulu, a close aide of mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy, now in jail in an illegal mining case.

The central agency had summoned Singh for questioning in September but he failed to turn up and fled reportedly to Singapore from where he filed anticipatory bail plea before the CBI court on medical grounds, fearing his arrest.

Thereafter, CBI arrested Singh's aide and employee Muthiyala Shivakumar on September 23.

Illegal export of iron ore from Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district was exposed by former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, who in his report, had said that 7.74 million tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported between 2006-2007 and 2010-11, causing a huge loss to the exchequer.

Those in custody include two former IAS officers and two Indian Forest Service officers.