After spending forty months in jail, Bellary mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy walked out free on bail from high security central prison Parappana Agrahara on Friday. The BJP lok Sabha member and former Karnataka Minister B Sriramulu, former MP J Shantha, and his family members and some well wishers were present to receive him.
A few hoardings welcoming Reddy were seen in some parts of the city. The Opposition BJP however, was not enthusiastic to receive Reddy who once brought the party into power in Karnataka. Many in the BJP feel that in the changing political scenario he would be a burden. On his coming out of prison, Reddy waved at well wishers who have been waiting since morning. To maintain law and order, police have clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 in the vicinity of half-a-kilometer radius of the prison and sufficient security personals were deployed.
Reddy was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the illegal mining scam case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC). Since the Apex court has imposed condition that he should not visit Bellari, Anantapur and Cuddapah during his bail period, it is yet to be known where he stays. On January 21, a division bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Hl Dattu and Justices AK Sikri and Arun Mishra granted conditional bail to Reddy asking him to furnish a bail bond of Rs10 lakh and surrender his passport. It also asked him not to visit three places---Bellary, Anantpur and Cuddapah. Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy, managing director of OMC, were arrested by the CBI, on September 5, 2011 from Bellary.
Reddy, who is suffering from a prolonged health problem, has been cooling his heels in Parappanara Agrahara Central jail on the outskirts of the city. He was also lodged before in the central jail of Hyderabad. The lower courts, both in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, besides the High Courts in the two States had denied bail to the fallen mining baron and after a prolonged legal battle in the Supreme Court, Reddy has now secured bail in all the eight cases he faces in the two States.
As one of the richest politicians, the 48-year-old not only held a sway in Karnataka BJP as a Minister and legislator but was also influenced the Congress party in the neighbouring State as he was said to be close to the late AP Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Jaganmohan Reddy. However, soon Reddy's kingdom crumbled after he allegedly looted the mineral resources in the two States even as one case after another was filed against him. Then Karnataka lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, had indicted him in his famous report on illegal mining in Karnataka. Reddy was ultimately arrested on September 5, 2011, by the CBI, and taken to Hyderabad.