The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a former official of the Andhra Pradesh Mining department in connection with the illegal mining case involving Karnataka former Minister Janardhan Reddy.

The CBI officials have taken V D Rajagopal, the then director of mines into custody for allegedly favouring Obulapuram Mining Company by granting licenses. The accused has been presented before the magistrate of the special court today in Hyderabad and later shifted to the CBI office.

AIR correspondent reports, ever since the CBI registered a case in 2009 against Obulapuram Mining Company for the alleged mining irregularities, Rajagopal, a former Director in the department of Mines, has been the third person to be arrested.

The Central Investigating Agency had questioned Rajagopal several times in the last two months over his alleged involvement in granting licenses while violating norms to the Mining Company. Former Karnataka minister Janardhan Reddy and OMC Managing Director Srinivasa Reddy are already in Judicial Custody since September this year in and lodged in Chanchal Guda Central jail in Hyderabad