Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court dismissed IAS officer Y Sri Lakshmi’s revision petition seeking to be discharged from the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case.
A bench hearing the matter for the second time upheld the CBI court’s earlier finding that designated her as an accused. The court rejected her plea and cleared the way for continued investigation into her role.
Sri Lakshmi had moved the High Court challenging an October 2022 CBI special court order which refused to discharge her from the case. That order came after the CBI submitted evidence alleging she had facilitated the grant of mining leases exclusively to OMC, ignoring other applications.
Public Prosecutor Srinivas Kapatia, representing the CBI, argued that Sri Lakshmi took an active role in securing the lease for OMC and bypassed due process to favour the company. He told the court there was documentary evidence establishing her direct involvement.
Earlier, the High Court had temporarily allowed her plea and ruled in her favour, prompting the CBI to appeal in the Supreme Court. The apex court, while refusing to endorse the High Court’s prior order, remanded the matter for fresh consideration.
Following that directive, the High Court re-examined the petition and, after hearing both sides, rejected it on merits.
