Respond to Reddy's plea to visit Ballari, SC tells CBI

The Supreme Court on Monday gave two weeks' time to the CBI to respond to a plea made by former minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy to allow him to visit his hometown, Ballari.

Reddy cannot visit Ballari as per the conditions of the bail granted on January 21, 2015, by the top court. He sought permission to visit his hometown in view of a non-bailable warrant issued against him in a case there.

As the CBI counsel sought stay on the proceedings in the Ballari court, a bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan pointed out to him the peculiar situation of the matter. “Since there is an order by this court, he cannot go over there and now, the trial court has issued non-bailable warrant against him. So, get the instruction,” the bench told him.

The top court had, in 2015, enlarged Reddy on bail in a case of illegal mining, with a condition that he would not visit Ballari, Anantapurm and Kadapa.

The court had earlier relaxed the bail conditions several times to allow him to go to Ballari. After celebrating Dasara at his hometown last year, Reddy was given concession to remain in Ballari during Deepavali. He was also permitted to visit the place for his daughter's marriage.