Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted temporary bail to Gali Janardhan Reddy, a former Karnataka minister, and three others involved in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case. This decision comes after their seven-year sentences, given by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on May 6, were put on hold pending an appeal.
The other accused are B.V. Srinivas Reddy, the Managing Director of OMC; V.D. Rajagopal, the former Director of Mines and Geology for Andhra Pradesh; and Mehfuz Ali Khan, Reddy’s personal assistant. The court set conditions for their release, including a travel ban outside the country and a requirement to provide a personal surety of ₹10 lakh each.
This case has a long history, involving a 13-year investigation that led to their conviction by a Hyderabad CBI court. The defense argued for temporary relief, highlighting that the accused have served more than half of their sentences and a possible by-election might be on the horizon. Justice K. Lakshman agreed with these points, resulting in the bail decision.
Politically, the case has significant consequences. Reddy lost his legislative membership due to the conviction, prompting officials to prepare for a by-election in his area.
The court plans to review the complete appeals and any potential stays on the convictions in August.
