Telangana High Court suspends Janardhan Reddy’s sentence in OMC case

Janardhan Reddy

Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Karnataka's former minister Janardhan Reddy and suspended his conviction in the Obulapuram illegal mining case. The court also revoked his disqualification as MLA, allowing him to retain his seat in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Additionally, the court granteed bail to co-accused VD Rajagopal, Ali Khan, and BV Srinivasa Reddy.

A special CBI convicted him on May 6 along with three others, including his brother-in-law and Managing Director of OMC, B V Srinivas Reddy, the then Director of Mines and Geology (Andhra Pradesh government) VD Rajagopal and Janardhan Reddy's assistant Mehafuz Ali Khan and sentenced them to seven years' rigorous imprisonment.

The CBI had registered the case on December 8, 2009 against the accused. The central agency, in its charge sheets, accused them of tampering with mining lease boundary markings and carrying out mining illegally in the Bellary Reserve Forest area on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.

Reddy and others had approached the High Court seeking suspension of the sentence and to grant them bail.

The court granted them bail on execution of personal bond of Rs 10 lakh each with two sureties each for a like sum and also directed them not to leave the country without the prior permission.