Supreme Court allows former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy to visit Bellary, Kadapa and Anantpuram; calls for trial to be expedited

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed former Karnataka Minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, accused in multi-crore illegal mining cases, to visit and stay in the districts of Bellary and Kadapa in Karnataka and Anantpuram in Andhra Pradesh for a period of eight weeks..The Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari stated in its order, "Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and that trial has not even commenced, and that petitioner has not violated any bail condition even when he visited Bellary, it is directed that the condition imposed to not visit these three places in bail order be modified.".The bail condition was modified subject to Reddy intimating the same to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of the district. "List in the third week of November on a non-miscellaneous day. We observe that trial court may make every endeavour to expedite the trial," the order order stated..The apex 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. However, it imposed a condition on him not to visit these districts. He had subsequently filed an application seeking that these conditions be relaxed. .Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Reddy, pointed out that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed charge sheets in the case as well as a memo on July 16, 2021 before the court of Principal Special Judge, Hyderabad, stating that investigation is complete. 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.”.Rohatgi said, “These restrictions are harsh and amount to externment. For how long can Reddy be kept out of his hometown Bellary? This condition must be waived. With nearly 10,000 documents and 300 witnesses, the trial will not end in the next 10 years if it goes this way.".On the other hand, Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan for CBI informed the Court that out of 300 witnesses, 47 reside in Bellary. Of these, 30 are public servants and bank officials while 15 are private persons."Reddy who is involved in bribing judges, how can he be trusted with the witnesses? He will threaten them or bribe them too, turning them hostile. This has a crucial bearing in this case. The ones who are most important are the neighbours who have been carrying out mining even subsequently. There is a serious threat perception as far as the case is concern. The entire case will fail if the witnesses turn hostile," ASG Divan submitted. .Rohatgi replied,"CBI is arguing as if this man has been held guilty and convicted...Balance has to be struck between my right and the interest of the State. Ghosts of the past cannot be raised again and again only on the basis of allegations. [There are] no convictions against me.".The matter will be again taken up for consideration after three months..[Read a live account of today's hearing]