In a surprise move, former Minister of Karnataka Gali Janardhan Reddy, second accused in the illegal mining case, on Monday withdrew his bail petition in the Principal Special Court for CBI Cases here.
This, sources said, was done after the counsel for Janardhan Reddy and Managing Director of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) B.V. Srinivasa Reddy, the first-accused in the case, felt that the latter’s prospects of getting bail would be affected if both petitions were taken up together.
During the arguments on Srinivasa Reddy’s bail plea on January 31, his counsel V. Surender Rao submitted to the court that no aspect of investigation against him was pending and that he was also not involved in the cash-for-bail scam.
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The prosecution did not argue its case that day on the ground that it would present arguments against the bail petitions of both -- Srinivasa Reddy and Janardhan Reddy -- together.
Accordingly, the arguments were posted for Monday by the court. The counsel for Janardhan Reddy filed a petition for withdrawal of his bail plea before the arguments were taken up.
The counsel for CBI requested for some time to argue against the bail plea of Srinivasa Reddy separately as it was prepared for a joint argument. The court postponed the arguments on Srinivasa Reddy’s bail plea to February 6.
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Meanwhile, arguments on the bail petition of K. Mehfuz Ali Khan, seventh-accused in the case, were postponed to February 8.