Relief for Janardhan Reddy as Telangana HC grants bail

Telangana/Bengaluru

In a significant relief to former Karnataka Minister and legislator Gali Janardhan Reddy, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted him bail in the multi-crore illegal mining scam case. The court also stayed his recent conviction and the consequent disqualification as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), thereby paving the way for his reinstatement.

Reddy, who was recently sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by a CBI special court in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case, had approached the Telangana High Court seeking bail and a stay on the conviction. His plea also sought to put on hold his disqualification from the Karnataka Assembly, arguing that the conviction would result in his removal from the legislature, severely affecting his political career.

The mining baron-turned-politician was convicted along with three others—B.V. Srinivas Reddy, V.D. Rajagopal, and Mehfuz Ali Khan—for their involvement in large-scale illegal iron ore extraction and export from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The trial court had sentenced all the accused to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines.

The stay on conviction has come as a major boost to Reddy, allowing him to retain his assembly seat for now, while the appeals process continues.