PNS|Vijayawada
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to Senior IAS Officer Srilakshmi in connection with the Obulapuram mining case. This development comes as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contested the Telangana High Court’s clean chit to Srilakshmi. A bench comprising Justice AS Bopanna and Justice MM Sundresh, which heard the case, served the notice to Srilakshmi.
Previously, the Telangana High Court had dismissed the charges brought by the CBI against Srilakshmi in the Obulapuram mining case. Subsequently, the CBI decided to challenge this verdict in the Supreme Court. Srilakshmi, who presently holds the position of Special Chief Secretary in the Government of Andhra Pradesh, faces allegations of providing undue advantages to the Obulapuram Mining Company in the allocation of mining licences.
It may be worth mentioning here that Srilakshmi is also implicated in a case involving the alleged illicit benefits granted to Penna Cements, along with Jagan Mohan Reddy, Dharmana Prasada Rao, Penna Pratap Reddy, and Sabita Indra Reddy. The CBI has conducted investigations into the illegal mining activities of the Obulapuram Mining Company within the reserve forest area of Anantapur.
Srilakshmi previously held the position of Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department in undivided Andhra Pradesh for an extended period.
During the tenure of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the united Andhra Pradesh, she assumed responsibilities in the Urban Development Department and earned a reputation as an efficient officer.
Subsequently, during the government led by YS Rajasekhar Reddy, Srilakshmi served as the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce. It was during this period that she faced CBI charges of conspiracy and the improper granting of mining licences. Srilakshmi was arrested in 2011 in connection with an illegal mining case, where she was alleged to have misused her authority in the issuance of licenses to Gali Janardhan Reddy’s OMC company.
Srilakshmi, a member of the 1988 batch, has faced a long-standing legal battle regarding her involvement in these cases.
