CBI Court Denies A-Class Jail Facilities to Gali Janardhan Reddy
Former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, convicted in the ₹884 crore Obulapuram mining scam, escorted by officials after the CBI court dismissed his plea for A-class facilities in Chanchalguda jail.
Hyderabad: The CBI special court in Nampally on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Karnataka former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy seeking special (A-class) facilities in Chanchalguda prison. Janardhan Reddy, who was recently sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in the ₹884 crore Obulapuram illegal mining case, had requested better food, television, and facilities considering his status as a former minister and his health issues.
The court firmly ruled that convicted persons were not eligible for any special category relief, while dismissing his plea.
Earlier this month, the CBI court convicted Janardhan Reddy along with six others, including his brother and OMC managing director B.V. Srinivasa Reddy. They were found guilty of illegal mining, cheating, and criminal breach of trust. The Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) was also fined ₹2 lakh.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on Janardhan Reddy and others. The scam, which came to light in 2009, caused a loss of ₹884 crore to the government due to illegal iron ore extraction beyond lease areas in Obulapuram region of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. The investigation involved 219 witnesses and over 3,000 documents.
Then mines minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, now a BRS MLA, and retired IAS officer B. Krupanandam were acquitted for lack of evidence.
