CBI arrests Hyderabad region mining Deputy Director, two others in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended three individuals, including a Deputy Director of Mines Safety (DGMS) in Hyderabad-III Region, in connection with a bribery case linked to a fatal mining accident in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district. The arrested individuals are U. Siva Sankar, a Deputy Director (Mining) at DGMS, Sidda Venkata Suresh Kumar, a representative of M/s Vasavi Granites, and A. Subhaskar Reddy, a consultant and proprietor of M/s Lotus Enviro Mining Services.

The CBI filed a case on Monday against Siva Sankar, the consultant, and other unidentified public servants and private persons accused of demanding and accepting bribes. The incident concerns a fatal accident at a mining quarry in Prakasam district on June 25. Allegedly, the mining establishment's representatives approached Siva Sankar through Subhaskar Reddy, seeking a favorable inquiry report related to the accident, without implicating the owners.

It is alleged that Siva Sankar received ₹1 lakh as an undue advantage for securing a favorable report. Later, ₹2 lakh was reportedly paid to Siva Sankar in Ongole to obtain a favorable inquiry and cover alleged quarterly bribe payments. The CBI set up a trap at Ongole and arrested Siva Sankar in the presence of a representative of the private mining establishment, seizing the ₹2 lakh bribe.

Searches are ongoing at the accused's residences in Ongole, Kadapa, and Hyderabad. The arrested individuals are set to be produced before a court in Vijayawada, and further investigation is underway.