The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed the first chargesheet in the iron ore export scam on Thursday. Director General of Police (CID) D V Guruprasad appeared before Justice Arali Nagaraj of the high court circuit bench in Dharwad and explained the steps taken by the CID in the case of illegal export of iron ore from Belekeri Port in Uttara Kannada district.
The CID also arrested port conservator Mahesh Bilige who was in charge of the Belekeri Port and presented him before the Judicial Magistrate First Class court in Ankola. The court remanded him to CID custody for two days. Two more persons, representatives of Adani Enterprises, were arrested and produced in the court. Since they had taken anticipatory bail from the high court, they were released.
Mahesh Bilige faces the charges of failing to protect the iron ore seized by the forest officials. Guruprasad said, the first chargesheet is against three companies — ILC Exports, Satya Granites and SB Logistics. “There are 58 companies/individuals who are the accused in the case and CID needs time to investigate the role of each of the accused in exporting the iron ore illegally. According to investigation by the CID, 465,078 tonnes of iron ore went missing from the Belekeri Port and has been exported illegally between March and June 2010.
Further investigations will reveal details on the destination and quantity of ore exported. The high court has asked the CID to submit a status report on September 9 and we will do it,” Guruprasad said.
He said, so far 11 persons have been arrested in connection with the illegal iron ore export and six of them have been released on bail.
