HYDERABAD: Justice Nandikonda Narsing Rao of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday declined to grant immediate relief in the form of interim bail to BJP leader and former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy and other co-accused in the high-profile Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case.
Stating that the orders cannot be made without hearing the arguments of the investigation agency, the court said that there are a large number of documents which need to be examined and adjourned the matter to May 28, 2025. The judge directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) standing counsel to obtain necessary instructions before the next hearing.
The court was hearing a batch of five writ appeals filed by Janardhan Reddy, OMD director, his PA Mehfuz Ali Khan, V D Rajagopal, former director of Mines and Geology department, and B V Srinivas Reddy, managing director of OMC. The petitioners have challenged the verdict delivered by the Special Court for CBI Cases at Nampally on May 6.
The CBI court found all the four accused guilty in the illegal mining case and sentenced them to seven years in prison. They were subsequently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail.
During the hearing in the high court, senior counsels representing the petitioners sought urgent interim bail while the appeals were pending. However, Justice Narsing Rao refused to grant such relief without hearing the CBI’s stance, emphasising the necessity of following due process of law.