The apex court described the High Court’s earlier dismissal of her discharge petition as “strange” and lacking proper reasoning.
Published Aug 29, 2025 | 9:32 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 29, 2025 | 9:32 PM
Synopsis: The Supreme Court has stayed the trial proceedings against senior Telangana IAS officer Y Srilakshmi in the Obulapuram Mining Company illegal mining case, observing that the Telangana High Court’s earlier dismissal of her discharge petition was “strange”. The decade-old case involves alleged irregularities and corruption in iron ore mining leases across the Andhra Pradesh–Karnataka border, with Srilakshmi accused of misusing her office to facilitate the alleged scam.
The Supreme Court has stayed the trial proceedings against senior Telangana IAS officer Y Srilakshmi in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case, granting interim relief to the beleaguered bureaucrat in the decade-old matter.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh on Friday, 29 August, issued notices to the respondents and halted further proceedings after Srilakshmi challenged the Telangana High Court’s earlier dismissal of her discharge petition.
The judges described the High Court’s order as “strange” and lacking proper reasoning, warning that it could set a precedent for similar petitions.
The Obulapuram mining scam, first exposed more than a decade ago, revealed widespread corruption in iron ore mining leases across the Andhra Pradesh–Karnataka border.
It triggered major political and bureaucratic tremors, implicating senior officials and politicians alike.
Srilakshmi’s legal fight has been a prolonged one. She was arrested by the CBI in November 2011 and spent nearly a year in jail before securing bail in October 2012.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the irregularities caused losses worth thousands of crores to the state exchequer.
The 1988 batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre is accused of misusing her position as Secretary of Industries and Commerce (2007–2009) in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh to grant undue favours to OMC, owned by mining baron and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.
Named as A6 in the CBI chargesheet, she was accused of conspiring with former Karnataka minister and MLA Janardhan Reddy and others to facilitate illegal mining. Her suspension was revoked in 2016, after which she resumed service and later rose to the rank of Special Chief Secretary.
The case has seen multiple turns. In October 2022, a CBI special court rejected her discharge plea. The Telangana High Court, however, quashed the charges against her the following month, citing lack of sufficient evidence.
The CBI then moved the Supreme Court, which in May 2025 set aside the High Court order citing procedural lapses and sent the matter back for review. In July 2025, the High Court dismissed her revision petition, paving the way for trial.
Challenging that decision, Srilakshmi again approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the allegations against her were based on suspicion and unsupported by specific evidence. The interim stay granted on Friday has effectively put the trial on hold until a full hearing is completed.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
