Advance bail denied to Janardhana Reddy, aide

The 61st city civil and sessions court refused to grant anticipatory bail to mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy on Friday and posted the matter for detailed hearing to Monday.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police had issued notice to Reddy on Friday to appear before the investigation officer in connection with his possible role in bailing out Syed Ahmed Fareed in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case over a ponzi scheme.

Vidyadhara Shirahatti, the 60th additional sessions court judge, refused to grant anticipatory bail to Reddy without hearing the objections of the public prosecutor. The judge asked the advocate representing Reddy, “What is the urgency?”

Senior criminal advocate C H Hanumantharaya submitted that the CCB police had issued a notice to Reddy on Friday to appear before them within 24 hours, but in the press note issued by them on November 7, they said the involvement of Reddy and his associate Ali Khan was confirmed in the case. So, efforts were on to trace them. Since police may arrest him in the case, he sought anticipatory bail. Judge Shirahatti observed, “We cannot just go by the police press note and grant anticipatory bail and first, Reddy has to appear before the investigation officer as police did not say they are going to arrest him.”

The advocate for Reddy said even though his name was not in the FIR, CCB police were searching his residences without notices. Now, they have issued notice to appear before them by Sunday and there are chances that they will arrest him, he said.

The judge dismissed the interlocutory application filed by Reddy, seeking grant of anticipatory bail, and adjourned the matter to Monday. A notice was issued to the government to file objections.

Ali Khan also filed for anticipatory bail before the same court and the judge asked why he had not appeared before the investigation officer. His advocate submitted that if court grants him bail, he will appear before the police. The matter was also posted for Monday.

Ponzi scheme victims

Meanwhile, two victims of the ponzi scam filed a impleading application to assist the public prosecutor in the case and that has been accepted by the court.