SC allows Janardhan Reddy to visit Bellary
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed former mining baron and former minister Janardhan Reddy to visit Bellary for eight weeks, however, the court has imposed conditions to Reddy not to tamper with prosecution witnesses.
Court has altered its earlier order, allowing Mr. Reddy to visit Bellary, Court has directed him to inform Superintendent of Police of Bellary district before his visit to the district.
On the other hand, the CBI has vehemently opposed for relaxation of the bail conditions of the accused. It has been submitted to the court that any relaxations would adversely affect the prosecution. Court has given liberty to the accused to approach the CBI court for relaxation of bail conditions.
Court has also instructed the accused to inform Kadapa and Ananthapura SPs before his visit to Bellary district.
CBI has submitted that permitting illegal mining accused to his home district would convey the wrong message and affect the trial. There are 47 witnesses in the case, and they are residing in the district whose lives will be in serious danger.
CBI was probed illegal mining case against companies owned by Reddy brothers of Bellary was arguing against a petition filed by Janardhan Reddy seeking relaxation of bail conditions imposed by the Supreme court restraining him from entering Bellary
The Supreme Court had granted bail to Reddy in the illegal mining case on January 20, 2015, more than three years after he was arrested in September 2011.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Ranjeet Kumar, who appeared for Reddy, argued that the CBI had filed chargesheets in the case and had filed a memo on July 16, 2021, before the court of Principal Special Judge, Hyderabad, stating that the investigation was completed.
Reddy, in his affidavit filed through advocate Parmatma Singh said, “In the said memo, it is clearly averred on behalf of the CBI that the investigation in the FIR being RC17(A)/2009 dated December 7, 2009, is complete and there are no further reports to be filed u/s 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.”
