Supreme Court asks Karnataka SIT to probe ex-Chief Ministers in iron ore mining case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Karnataka Police to investigate the role of former Chief Ministers N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy in the iron ore mining case and file a report within three months.

The apex court, however, said that its stay on the investigation against another former Chief Minister S M Krishna will continue during the period.

A bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman restrained all other courts including the high court from passing any order in the case.

It has been alleged by one of the complainants, T J Abraham that the former chief ministers connived with several bureaucrats and others in de-registering a huge tract of forest land and allowed illegal iron ore mining on a large scale.

The complainant had also referred to various reports of the then Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde indicting several politicians, bureaucrats and others.