HYDERABAD: In a significant relief to Gali Janardhan Reddy and other accused in the high-profile Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted bail and suspended the sentences imposed by the CBI Special Court.
Justice K. Lakshman, hearing the batch of criminal appeals filed on 19 May, 2025, during the Vacation Court, ordered bail for Gali Janardhan Reddy, MLA and Director of OMC and Accused No.2 in the case. Reddy was directed to furnish a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with two sureties to the satisfaction of the Trial Court.
The High Court also suspended the conviction order dated 6 May, 2025, which had sentenced him to seven years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000.
As part of the bail conditions, the court directed that Gali Janardhan Reddy must not leave the country without prior permission of the court and must refrain from engaging in any criminal activities.
Similar bail relief was granted to other accused in the case:
Bovilla Venkata Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director of Obulapuram Mining Company and Accused No.1, was granted bail on identical terms, a Rs 10 lakh personal bond with two sureties and the same restrictions regarding foreign travel and criminal conduct.
Valmiki Dasari Raj Gopal, Retired Director of Mines and Geology, Government of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Accused No.3, was granted bail upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties. He too was barred from leaving the country or engaging in unlawful activities.
K. Mehfuz Ali Khan, Partner at M/s. Devi Enterprises and Accused No.7, also received bail under similar conditions as Reddy and Srinivas Reddy, with a Rs 10 lakh bond and two sureties.
The High Court also suspended the seven-year conviction and sentence against M/s. Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt. Ltd., which was represented in the trial by its MD, Bovilla Venkata Srinivas Reddy. The CBI Court had earlier imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on the company.
The original conviction was delivered by Principal Special Judge for CBI Cases, Dr. T. Raghuram, on 6 May, 2025. The court had found all the accused guilty, sentencing each to seven years' imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine, except the company, which was fined Rs 2 lakh. All convicts were subsequently lodged in Cherlapalli Central Prison.
Challenging the conviction, the accused filed five criminal appeals before the High Court seeking to overturn the CBI Court’s judgment and sentence.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and illegal mining activities carried out by the Obulapuram Mining Company in Andhra Pradesh.