Illegal iron ore export: CBI arrests officials of 3 companies

The CBI today arrested three officials of three different companies from Hospet in Bellary district in connection with the illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port in the state.
The arrested would be produced before a CBI court in Bangalore tomorrow, officials said.
The CBI is investigating the case on the order of the Supreme Court, which had formed the Central Empowered Committee to look into the issue.
The illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district was exposed by former Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, who in his report, had said 7.74 million tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported between 2006-2007 and 2010-11, causing huge loss to the exchequer.

The CBI had earlier arrested four MLAs -- Anand Singh (BJP), 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 Janardhana Reddy, in connection with the scam.