Reddy bail plea rejected, CBI files charge-sheet

BANGALORE: The CBI Designated Court here on Wednesday denied bail to former tourism minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy and others in an illegal mining case.Judge B M Angadi dismissed the bail pleas of Reddy, his assistant Mehfuz Ali Khan and three others, who were arrested by the CBI sleuths in connection with an illegal mining case.The judge said the release of the accused might hamper the investigations as there was a possibility of the accused tampering with the evidence.He also stated that the economic offence was of high magnitude, and adjourned the hearing on the case till June 5.Reddy, who is lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, was granted bail by Hyderabad CBI Court in connection with an iron ore export case filed in AP.The CBI officials in Karnataka had filed an FIR against Associated Mining Company (AMC), owned by Reddy’s wife Aruna Lakshmi, and named 21 persons as accused in the FIR.Meanwhile, the CBI officials on Wednesday filed a 28-page charge-sheet along with over 18,000 supporting documents against Reddy and six others in the CBI Designated Court here.The charge-sheet alleged that AMC had carried out illegal mining in the state, causing a loss of Rs 480 crore to the state exchequer.The seven accused were also charged with crimes under Prevention of Corruption Act.