Reddys move bail applications, hearing likely tomorrow

Former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and Managing Director of Obulapuram Mining Company BV Srinivas Reddy, both of whom were arrested in connection with alleged illegegal mining, today moved their bail petitions in the special CBI court.

The petitions are likely to come up for hearing tomorrow, court sources said.

Meanwhile, the CBI court today notified the Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman about the arrest of Janardhan Reddy, who is a MLC from that state, they said.

The duo was arrested yesterday by a CBI team led by its joint director (Hyderabad Zone) V V Lakshmi Narayana at Bellary in Karnataka after conducting searches at their premises.

While producing the duo, CBI moved a memo seeking their custody for 15 days, and the matter is also slated for hearing tomorrow.

In its memo, the investigating agency contended it has to interrogate the accused as OMC has 'violated' all norms and crores of rupees were involved in the alleged illegal mining at the Bellary reserve forest, which spreads between Bellary district in Karnataka and Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.

Both the Reddys have been put up in the barracks of the reception block of the Chanchalguda Central Prison. Meanwhile, Chanchalguda Jail Superintendent Kesava Naidu told reporters that the Reddys were being treated as any other prisoner.

"We are treating them (Janardhan Reddy and Srinivas Reddy) as any other prisoner. There are no specific directions from the court on providing special treatment," he said.