Gali Gets Bail In Illegal Mining Case

The CBI special court, on Friday, granted conditional bail to mining baron and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, in the illegal mining case of the Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC).

The special court, while granting bail to Reddy, directed him to deposit 2 sureties and a personal bond of Rs. 5 lakh, and directed him not to leave the country, and to cooperate with the CBI in the investigations.

The special court directed Gali Janardhan Reddy, who was arrested in September last year, to surrender his passport, and to not interfere in the investigation into the other illegal mining cases, or influence witnesses.

"The petitioner (Gali) shall remain in Bellary (Karnataka), and is permitted to attend other cases in Bangalore," the judge ordered.

The judge dismissed a plea by the CBI, which asked for a suspension of the the bail order as it wanted to file a petition in the High Court against it.

Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivsas Reddy, the managing director of the mining company, were arrested on 5 September last year, in Bellary.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet against Gali and others on 3 December, accusing them of changing the mining lease's boundary markings between AP and Karnataka. They were also accused of having indulged in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest areas, between Karnataka and Anantapur district in AP.

The CBI charged all the accused with Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Breach Of Trust By A Public Servant, Cheating, Forgery For The Purpose Of Cheating, and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier, the trial court and the High Court rejected Gali's bail petitions 6 times.

Meanwhile, the court rejected the bail petition of another accused, suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who is facing charges in the OMC case. (INN)