Janardhana Reddy will influence witnesses if allowed to visit Ballari, CBI tells

Former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, who is out on bail in illegal mining cases, can go to any extent to “thwart” the judicial process and there would be threats to witnesses if he is allowed to visit Ballari, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

“Reddy is a former minister in Karnataka and most of the witnesses are from the Ballari area. So, there is every likelihood that he will influence witnesses with his power and pelf and thereby dissuade them from appearing before the special judge in Hyderabad,” the CBI said in an affidavit.

Opposing Reddy’s petition for modification for his bail conditions so that he can go to Ballari, the investigating agency pointed out that some of the witnesses had already been given security in view of threats made by him through his “followers”.

The CBI’s response came on an application by Reddy to alter the conditions imposed in the January 20 order of the Supreme Court, as per which he cannot visit the districts of Ballari in Karnataka and Anantapur and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

The CBI said the bail conditions should not be modified until material witnesses in cases registered against him and others were examined in the trial court.

It also pointed out that following an apex court order, its Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Bengaluru had registered five cases against Reddy, his associate K Mehfuz Ali Khan and others with regard to export of illegally mined iron ore through the Belekeri port in Karnataka.

‘Dismiss Reddy’s petition’
The CBI also urged the court to dismiss Reddy’s petition given that the Andhra Pradesh High Court had ordered day-to-day trial in a case registered against Reddy, the Obulapuram Mining Company and others on December 7, 2009.

Supporting its claim that Reddy is an influential person who can tamper with evidence, the CBI cited how Sashi Kumar, a witness in one of the FIRs lodged against the former minister, was threatened. His vehicle was torched by Reddy’s followers and he got a threat call as he had testified before the CBI.

“The conduct of the petitioner to buy the bail and to intimidate the witnesses emphasises that he can go to any extent to thwart the judicial process,” the CBI claimed.

Reddy, 45, was released on bail on January 22 by the trial court after he executed a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties of the same amount. The CBI had arrested him on September 5, 2011.