Andhra Police issues lookout notice for former minister in illegal mining case

Amaravati, April 10 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh Police have issued a lookout notice against YSR Congress Party leader and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy in an illegal mining case.

The police have circulated the look-out notice to airports and seaports to prevent him from leaving the country.

The development came a day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed Goverdhan Reddy’s anticipatory bail petition.

The court also dismissed his petition to quash the case registered against him.

It declined to grant an interim stay on all further proceedings, including arrest.

The former minister had not appeared before police despite being served three notices.

Podalakur police in Nellore district last month registered a case against Goverdhan Reddy and four others over allegations of unauthorised mineral extraction and illegal transportation.

The case was registered on a complaint by the Mines and Geology Department. He was also booked under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

All the persons named in the First Information Report (FIR) are reported to be absconding.

Police have formed six teams and sent them to places like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai to arrest them.

There are allegations that Goverdhan Reddy and others continued quartz mining illegally near Thoderu village in Podalakur mandal, even after the expiration of a mica mining lease.

In 2019, former minister and TDP MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy highlighted large-scale illegal mining activities. An inquiry found that 61,313 metric tonnes of quartz were unlawfully extracted and transported, resulting in an estimated revenue loss of Rs 7.56 crore, including penalties.

A police team led by Podalakur Sub-Inspector Hanif visited Kakani’s residence in Nellore on Sunday evening. As the house was locked, officials affixed the notice to the wall.

The next day, Nellore police extended their search to three locations in Hyderabad but failed to locate him. They handed the notice to his relatives and reiterated that he must appear before the Nellore Rural DSP office at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

He, however, failed to appear before the police

--IANS

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