Obulapuram Mining Case: IAS Officer Srilakshmi Gets Big Relief

In a relief to senior IAS officer Srilakshmi, the Supreme Court has stayed the Telangana High Court’s order in the Obulapuram mining case. The apex court also issued notices to the respondents in the matter.

Srilakshmi moved the Supreme Court after the Telangana High Court dismissed her plea seeking discharge from the case.

The High Court bench had struck down Srilakshmi’s revision plea, reaffirming her status as an accused and clearing the way for trial in the CBI Special Court.

Following this, Srilakshmi approached the Supreme Court. While hearing the petition, Justices M M Sundaresh and N K Singh noted that the Telangana High Court’s order appeared ‘strange’. The bench cautioned that such rulings could trigger a flood of petitions from applicants.

It may be recalled that Srilakshmi’s discharge plea was first rejected by the CBI special court in October 2022. She then moved the Telangana High Court, which initially allowed her discharge from the case.

However, the CBI challenged the order in the Supreme Court. In May 2025, the apex court set aside the High Court’s decision citing procedural lapses, including failure to hear CBI’s arguments and re-evaluating evidence at the pre-trial stage. The case was remanded to the High Court for a fresh hearing within three months.

At the subsequent stage, Srilakshmi’s revised discharge plea was again dismissed by the High Court, leading her to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court.