Hegde cites time constraint in nailing Bellary mining culprits

PANAJI: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde today said if his team had got two more months to investigate, it would have nailed "everyone" involved in the Bellary illegal mining scam.

"Mere five officers scrutinised four lakh documents and assessed 40 lakh bank accounts. If we had got two more months, we would have literally nailed everyone involved in the Bellary illegal mining scam," Hegde said at a workshop organised by the International Centre Goa at Dona Paula near here.

The former Lokayukta said that his office had all relevant records pertaining to the illegal mining and its transportation to other states.

He said only five officers opened "magnum opus" of the mining.

Responding to a query, the former Lokayukta said the country has morally upright officers and also politicians. "But unfortunately numbers on other side are more," he quipped.

Hegde also complimented Karnataka's Chief Conservator of Forest U V Singh, who is now a part of Shah Commission probing illegal mining in Goa.

The former Supreme Court judge, who retired as Lokayukta on August 1, commented that "I am not tired but retired".

There are enough good people who can now handle the responsibility, he added.

Hegde also revealed that he had sent a 466-page report indicting then Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in illegal mining to Governor H R Bhardwaj and Chief Secretary S V Ranganath on July 27, 2011.