BENGALURU: Mining baron and BJP MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy may lose his legislative assembly membership in view of his conviction in the illegal mining case by a CBI court in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The state assembly is expected to issue a formal order in this regard once it gets a certified copy of the conviction order.
The CBI court convicted Reddy in the OMC mining case. As per Section 3 of the Representation of the People Act, sitting MPs or MLAs convicted in any case and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years will be disqualified from the House from the date of conviction. The disqualification will continue for further six years after his release.
Government sources said that action can be initiated against the MLA once the certified copy of the court order is received by the House. “Since he (Reddy) is a member of the legislative assembly, a formal order has to be issued. We will issue the order only when we get the certified copy from the court. Once we issue the formal order, it will be applicable from the date of the judgment,’’ the sources said.
Though there was a provision in the RP Act, which allowed convicted legislators to continue as members of the House if they appealed before the court within three months, the Supreme Court in 2013 declared it as unconstitutional, they said.
The sources, however, said that if Reddy goes to court and gets bail before the assembly gets the certified copy of the conviction order, he may not be disqualified.
Assembly Speaker UT Khader is abroad and is expected to return to Bengaluru on Wednesday.
In 2024, the High Court of Karnataka granted bail to Karwar MLA Satish Krishna Sail in illegal export of seized iron ore cases in which he was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. In October, 2024, the special court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment. In November, he got bail from the HC.
The sources said that Sail had moved to the court and got bail even before the assembly received the certified copy of his conviction order.
State BJP leaders are waiting for more details on the court order against Reddy. A senior BJP leader said that if an MLA or MP is disqualified based on court orders, the party will disassociate from him/her. “However, the party high command will take a decision on such matters,’’ the leader added.
The list of accused
A-1: BV Srinivas Reddy (OMC MD, convicted)
A-2: Gali Janardhan Reddy (BJP leader and former minister, convicted)
A-3: VD Rajagopal (former IAS officer, who served as director of mines, and vice-chairman and MD, AP Mineral Development Corporation, convicted)
A-4: Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited (convicted)
A-5: Rao Lingareddy (former AD of Mines Department, deceased)
A-6: Srilakshmi (IAS officer, discharged by the high court)
A-7: Mehfuz Ali Khan (Janardhan Reddy’s PA, convicted)
A-8: B Kripanandam (former IAS, acquitted)
A-9: P Sabitha Indra Reddy (former minister, acquitted)
FORMER LOKAYUKTA HEGDE WELCOMES CBI COURT’S VERDICT
BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde has welcomed the CBI court order convicting sitting MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy, sentencing him to seven years of imprisonment. Karnataka Lokayukta under Justice Santosh Hedge had submitted a detailed report in 2011 that exposed the magnitude of the illegal iron ore mining in Ballari and directly implicated Reddy in the scam.
“I am satisfied with the judgment. Not only I, those who worked with me then, too, would be satisfied now. The government exchequer has incurred a huge loss because of Janardhan Reddy,” Justice Hedge told media persons at his residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Justice Hedge, who had called Ballari district, the erstwhile hub of illegal iron ore mining and the political stronghold of Reddy, as the ‘Republic of Ballari’, said, “As far as I knew, no government laws were applicable in Ballari. Even if there were murders, there were no cases registered. Many families have suffered because of him”.