Janardhana Reddy gets bail in bribe-for-bail case

He will, however, continue to be lodged in a jail in Bengaluru in connection with the illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company

The Hyderabad High Court today granted bail to the former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy in the bribe-for-bail case.

The mining baron will however continue to be lodged in the jail as presently he is in a judicial custody at Bengaluru in connection with the illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company. Reddy was granted bail in the case registered by the anti-corruption bureau on Thursday.

He is accused of paying a bribe to the suspended judge T Pattabhirama Rao for bail. The ACB has registered two cases against Reddy. In October 2012 the HC granted him bail in a case related to an attempt to bribe Rao. The ACB court had dismissed Reddy's bail plea in the second case, after which he moved the High Court last month.

Rao, as a judge of the special CBI court, granted bail to Reddy in OMC case while refusing the same relief to the IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, a co-accused. Following this the CBI conducted a probe and exposed the bribe deal.

The High Court subsequently suspended Rao and cancelled Reddy's bail. ACB arrested three serving judges including Pattabhirama Rao and eight others in the two cases. All the other accused are out on bail now.