OMC scam: Janardhan's aide gets CBI custody

A special court today awarded CBI the custody of jailed mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy's personal assistant and accused in the Oblapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam K Mehfuz Ali Khan till October 16. Khan is presently under judicial custody and lodged in Chanchalguda jail here since October 5. 

Earlier, seeking 14-day custody of Khan, the agency told the special CBI court that as per its investigation, Khan was also involved in the business of illegal mining and was dealing in many of the shady transactions of Janardhan Reddy and other accused and knew about monetary transactions of the illegally mined iron ore (involving OMC). 

The court, however, sent Khan to seven-day CBI custody from tomorrow and directed that he be produced before the court on October 17. According to CBI, it wants to quiz Khan over heavy transactions shown in various bank accounts in his name and about the flow of money. 

The CBI in its petition submitted that the custodial interrogation of Khan was essential to find out facts pertaining to modus operandi adopted by him in connivance with Janardhan Reddy and OMC and to identify his accomplices in the crime, to identify the buyers of the illegally mined iron ore, which the agency had claimed was actually mined in Karnataka but was shown to have been mined in Andhra Pradesh. 

The agency also sought to interrogate Khan to ascertain the names of public servants with whom he and others allegedly entered into conspiracy to carry out illegal mining. 

PTI