Bangalore: CBI yesterday arrested an Independent MLA in a case relating to alleged illegal export of iron ore from Belikeri port in Karnataka.
B Nagendra is the third MLA to be arrested in the case. BSR Congress MLA Suresh Babu, a nephew of B Sreeramulu, former minister and close associate of former minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, was arrested on September 19 while Satish Sail, independent MLA from Karwar, was arrested the next day.
The MLA will be produced before the CBI special judge here tomorrow, the agency officials said. Nagendra is a close associate of Janardhana Reddy, lodged in Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad in connection with an alleged mining scam.
The illegal export from Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district was exposed by former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde, who in his report, had said 7.74 million tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported between 2006-2007 and 2010-11, causing huge loss to the exchequer.
Those in custody include two former IAS officers and two Indian Forest Service officers.
