Obulapuram Mining Company case: Telangana HC dismisses IAS officer’s discharge petition

Hyderabad, Jul 25 (PTI) The Telangana High Court on Friday dismissed the petition of senior IAS officer Y Srilakhsmi, seeking discharge in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal iron ore mining case.

The High Court, which had earlier reserved its judgment, dismissed the criminal revision plea filed by Srilakhsmi, an IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. She would now have to face trial in the CBI special court.

Srilakhsmi, who was earlier named as A-6 (Accused No. 6) in the case by the CBI, was accused of "abusing" her official position and committing an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act by favouring OMC in grant of mining leases in 2007.

However, she had contended that the lease had been provisionally granted by the Andhra Pradesh government one year before she took charge as Secretary, Industries and Commerce department.

Srilakhsmi had earlier filed a petition in the CBI special court to discharge her from the case, but her plea was then dismissed.

She had subsequently approached the High Court, which in November 2022 discharged her from the case.

However, the CBI had challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court which in May 2025 directed the Telangana High Court to hear the matter within three months.

The special CBI court here on May 6 convicted former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and three others in the case and sentenced them to seven years' rigorous imprisonment.

The High Court on June 11 suspended the conviction and sentence awarded to Reddy in the case and also granted him bail. The court also allowed the bail applications of three others who were convicted along with Reddy. PTI VVK VVK KH