Jailed mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy, his associate Mehfouz Ali Khan and four others were produced before the CBI Special Court here on Friday in connection with illegal transportation of iron ore from Belekeri port.
The accused were remanded in CBI custody till March 14. Reddy and Khan were brought to the Parappana Central Prison from Chanchalguda Prison in Hyderabad, where they have been lodged in connection with different cases, around 3 am. As the Hyderabad escort police had not brought the transit order with them, the prison officials did not allow the duo inside.
When the local police asked Reddy to come inside the police station he initially refused, but later agreed after sitting inside the police van for one and a half hours. The accused were reportedly provided with pillows and bedspreads, and they slept on the floor. They were taken inside the prison around 10 am, after CBI officials brought the transit order.Meanwhile, the four accused — government officials S Muthaiah and S P Raju, miners Swastik Nagaraj and Karapudi Mahesh -- were brought from the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison to the court.
Scribes assaulted
A regional news channel reporter and a photo journalist, who had gone to the court to cover the developments, were allegedly assaulted by Parappana Agrahara police inspector Lakshminarayana. Lakshminarayana, however, apologised to them later, the photo journalist said. According to him, the inspector was in tension as he was scolded by the ACP as he was not on spot when Reddy arrived.