Ex-TN Minister Balakrishna Reddy to appeal against his sentence

AIADMK leader and former Minister P. Balakrishna Reddy will appeal against the special court's order sentencing him to three years in jail in a rioting case of 1998.

"We are discussing with the lawyers the next course of action. We will be appealing against the judgement," Reddy told IANS.

He declined to make any more comments.

On Monday, a special court sentenced Reddy to three three years' imprisonment for damaging buses with stones in 1998. At that time, Reddy was with the BJP and later joined AIADMK.

Following the conviction, Reddy, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, submitted his resignation from the ministry and it was accepted.

The court hearing the cases against MPs and MLAs also fined Reddy Rs 10,000.

The court convicted 16 persons out of 108 accused.

Elected from Hosur, Reddy was part of a protest against illict liquor in 1998 near his constituency. The protest turned violent resulting in stone pelting on buses.

Meanwhile, on a petition, the judge suspended the sentence allowing Reddy to appeal in the Madras High Court.

--IANS

vj/mr