Relief For Gali Janardhan Reddy, Telangana HC Grants Bail, Suspends Conviction In Illegal Mining Case

The Telangana High Court suspended Gali Janardhan Reddy's conviction and sentence in the OMC illegal mining case, granting him bail and allowing him to remain an MLA.

In a major relief for Karnataka MLA and former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday suspended his conviction and seven-year sentence in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case, granting him bail and allowing him to retain his seat in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

The High Court’s interim order also extends to three co-convicts in the case — BV Srinivasa Reddy (OMC MD and Janardhan Reddy's brother-in-law), VD Rajagopal (former Director of Mines and Geology, Andhra Pradesh), and Mehafuz Ali Khan (Reddy’s personal assistant), as per a report on PTI. 

Gali Janardhan Reddy's Bail Conditions 

The High Court granted bail to all four convicts on the execution of personal bonds of Rs 10 lakh each with two sureties for an equal amount. The court also stayed the sentence and conviction, effectively preventing the disqualification of Reddy under the Representation of the People Act.

In its order, the court directed them not to leave the country without prior permission and to cooperate with further legal proceedings.

Background Of The Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed the case on December 8, 2009, alleging that Reddy and others, in criminal conspiracy, had falsified mining lease boundaries and carried out illegal iron ore extraction in the Bellary Reserve Forest, which spans the Karnataka–Andhra Pradesh border.

"It was alleged that the accused in criminal conspiracy with each other committed offences of illegal mining of iron ore by criminally trespassing into the government lands and lands of other private persons and thus causing a loss of more than Rs 800 crore to the government," the CBI had earlier said, as per a report on PTI.