Telangana high court to take up bail plea of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy today

Hyderabad: The Telangana high court will on Tuesday decide the bail plea of mining baron and Karnataka MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy who was sentenced to seven years along with three others in the illegal Obulapuram mining case recently.

On Monday, Justice K Lakshman heard arguments in the bail petitions of Gali, Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) MD BV Srinivas Reddy and two others, and reserved his orders for Tuesday.

Senior counsel S Nagamuthu argued the case of Gali and urged the court to suspend the sentence and release him on bail. While Srinivas Reddy’s counsel Pappu Nageswara Rao, citing judgments of the Supreme Court, said that convicts who have served half of their term could be released on bail.

In the current case, both Gali and Srinivas Reddy have served more than three and a half years of jail term as remand prisoners prior to their conviction.

The lawyers said the case entrusted to CBI was about alleged illegal mining beyond leasehold areas and transgression of state borders, which finds no mention in its charge sheet, while the case against them was about violation of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act – which was not dealt with by the probe agency. They also pointed out that when those named as principal offenders – former mines minister Sabita Indra Reddy and former industries secretary Kripanandam – were acquitted, how can those charged with conspiracy be convicted?

Opposing the bail pleas, CBI counsel Srinivas Kapatia said the convicts could not show any compelling circumstance that warrants interference by the court.

The judge said he would only look at the bail pleas for now and made it clear that their main appeals will be heard from Aug 11.

HC to take up Srilakshmi acquittal issue

The judge, during the hearing, directed the registry to list before him the case of former industries secretary Y Srilakshmi (who succeeded Kripanandam). The high court had earlier discharged her from the case, but CBI had appealed in SC which directed the HC to hear the CBI version also before arriving at a conclusion. CBI made out a case that the HC had not heard their version before allowing Srilakshmi’s plea.

The judge said he would decide the issue before the expiry of a three-month deadline fixed by the apex court and directed the CBI to file its counter.