The High Court of Karnataka reserved its orders on Wednesday, on a bail petition by former minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.

He had applied for bail in the case against Associated Mining Company, in which he is the main accused. Justice H N Nagmohan Das reserved the judgement after the conclusion of arguments on both sides.

Senior counsel for CBI Ashok Bhan contended that Reddy was continously threatening the witnesses and hampering the investigation. A charge sheet has already been filed in the case. Bhan insisted that further investigation was being conducted at present.

However, senior counsel for Reddy, C V Nagesh denied there was any threat to the witnesses and stated it was mere anticipation of threat and not an actual threat.

Reddy had approached the High Court after his bail plea was rejected by the CBI court in September. The bail petitions of others accused in the case: Mehfuz Ali Khan, S Muthaiah, then Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bellary district, and S P Raju, then director, Mines and Geology, have already been rejected by the High Court.

Encroachment of lake 

The High Court on Wednesday directed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tumkur to ensure that no encroachment activities took place around the Gundlamma lake at Kyathasandra near Tumkur.

The petitioner K L Chandrashekar had contended that the lake was being filled with garbage and later covered in sand. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna disposed of the PIL, after ruling that the Tumkur DC had to ensure that no encroachment took place at the lake.

The DC has also been directed to take steps to fence the lake and take action against those dumping garbage in the lake.