New Delhi, February 17 The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by an IAS officer seeking discharge in the multi-crore Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case, paving the way for her trial.
A bench comprising justices M M Sundresh and N K Singh upheld the decision of the Telangana High Court, which had refused to discharge senior IAS officer Y Srilakshmi.
The top court had stayed the trial against her and issued a notice to the CBI on August 29 last year.
Srilakshmi, who served as Secretary of Industries & Commerce in Andhra Pradesh between 2006 and 2009, was named in a supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI in the alleged scam.
She moved the trial court seeking discharge, arguing that there were only suspicions against her and no concrete allegations warranting the framing of charges.
However, the plea was dismissed in 2022.
She subsequently moved the Telangana High Court, which allowed her criminal revision and discharged her on November 8, 2022.
The CBI challenged this before the Supreme Court, which on May 7, 2023, overturned the high court order and referred the matter for a reasoned judgment.
After reconsideration, the high court dismissed her revision petition on July 25 and revived the trial against her.
According to the CBI, Srilakshmi abused her position as a public servant by allegedly favouring M/s Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited, owned by businessman and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.
She allegedly omitted the crucial condition of captive mining in the final lease and issued two government notifications in favour of the company, violating provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.
The CBI further alleged that her actions facilitated other accused persons in cheating the government and caused huge losses to the public exchequer. She faces charges under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Reddy was convicted and his appeal is pending.