Ballari-based mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy (File | EPS)
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court confirmed the order passed by the Special CBI Court discharging G Lakshmi Aruna, wife of Gali Janardhana Reddy, from an illegal mining case registered in 2012. She was chargesheeted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of CBI, along with her husband and others.
“...when there is no active role incriminated against Lakshmi Aruna, she cannot be made liable for the acts done by Janardhana Reddy, the accused No. 1. She was only subscribing her signature on the documents only after they were verified by her husband. Merely because she was subscribing the signature, it cannot be said that there is direct overt act attributed against her in committing the alleged offences, that too be in the mining of iron ore business, which was being carried out by her husband.
Therefore, the special judge has rightly come to the conclusion that there are no sufficient materials or evidence against her to proceed further for framing of charge and consequently, she was discharged from the case”, said Justice K Somashekar, confirming the discharge order.
The judge rejected the petition filed by Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya against the order of discharge. However, he directed the special court to dispose of the case where the other accused are facing trial, on merits and in accordance with law. “Since it is a case of 2012, the trial court is directed to expedite it for disposal by following the standard operating procedure. However, all the contentions are kept open to both the prosecution and defence counsel in this case,” the judge said on Tuesday.
KSPCB to give publicity to public hearing of PRR
The High Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL as the KSPCB assured the court that it will give adequate publicity to the announcement of the dates of a public hearing on the 8-lane Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project-Phase I connecting Tumakuru Road and Hosur Road. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum disposed of the plea filed by Anushka Gupta of Bengaluru, and other law students. The HC recorded KSPCB’s submission that it will follow Covid norms, during the hearing.
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