SC orders CBI probe in Bellary scam

The Supreme Court, on Friday, ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the illegal extraction and export of 50.7 lakh tonnes of iron ore from Karnataka's forest areas from January 2009 to May 2010, spelling more trouble for the former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. 

The forest branch of the apex court, headed by Justice Aftab Alam, ordered for the probe while accepting the report of its central empowered committee on environmental matters. The court criticised the state government for looking the other way when iron ore was being illegally mined, transported and extracted. 

Slamming the state government, the court said that it was a case of 'the fence eating the grass'. The court said, 'Can anyone imagine that the state authority, right from bottom to top was not aware of the illegal mining of iron ore to the tune of 50.7 lakh metric tonnes, its transportation and export? The state machinery, instead of governing, was involved in all these illegalities.'