Court refuses bail to Janardhan Reddy in OMC case

Says there was possibility of tampering of evidences and witnesses if Reddy was given bail

A special CBI court here today dismissed the bail plea of mining baron and former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, an accused in the illegal mining case involving his company - Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).

This was the sixth bail petition of Gali Janardhan Reddy since his arrest in the OMC scam in September last year, which was again dismissed today.

Janardhan Reddy, a sitting MLC from Karnataka, presently under judicial remand in Chanchalguda Central Prison here, had last week moved the CBI court seeking bail so that he could participate in the Assembly elections in the state, scheduled to be conducted next year.

However, the CBI, which strongly opposed his bail application, had contended that the investigations into the illegal mining case were still continuing and said that if Janardhan Reddy was enlarged on bail, there was possibility of tampering of evidences and witnesses.

Janardhan Reddy is also an accused in connection with the cash-for-bail scam involving him.

Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivsas Reddy, the managing director of the mining company, were arrested on September 5 last year from Bellary and brought to Hyderabad.

The CBI had filed a charge sheet against Janardhan Reddy and others on December 3 in OMC case.

OMC is accused of changing mining lease boundary markings between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and indulging in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest areas, spread between Bellary district of Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.