Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde in his 466-page report detailed the mining scam in Karnataka’s Ballari district which cost the state an estimated Rs 16,085 crore.
New Delhi: The biggest illegal mining scam in India was exposed by Justice Santosh Hegde in 2011. Hegde was the Karnataka Lokayukta at the time, and his report led to the then chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and tourism minister and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy resigning. The alleged Ballari mining scam cost the state an estimated Rs 16,085 crore.
The Lokayukta report detailed how miners, officials colluded to defraud government mining revenues. It also included details of illegal money transfers to foreign companies owned by the Reddy brothers. Several public sector companies and banks were also implicated in the report that revealed the nexus between businessmen, politicians and bureaucrats. It noted the extensive damage to the environment as well.
The 466-page report had the observations and recommendations of Santosh Hegde.