The Supreme Court Tuesday reserved orders on the plea of the Reddy brothers, two of whom are ministers in Karnataka, to permit mining in a forested area on the Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan reserved the order after Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam told the court that the Survey of India report recommended that a fresh demarcation of the boundaries of the leases was necassary before mining could be allowed.
The court had asked a Survey of India team to monitor six mines in the Obulapuram area to see whether or not they encroached on forestland. Three of the mines belong to the Reddys.
The apex court March 22 suspended the mining operations of Reddy brothers – Karunakara, Somashekhar and Janardhan – in Andhra Pradesh.
