Reddy in Ballari after 5 years

G. Janardhan Reddy, mining baron and former Minister, who was jailed on the charge of illegal mining, arrived at his hometown Ballari on Tuesday after over five years. With people thronging to see him and his supporters taking out a bike rally, traffic was thrown out of gear for hours.

The Supreme Court, while granting him conditional bail, had banned him from visiting Ballari district. It relaxed the order and permitted him to visit Ballari for a period of 21 days from November 1 to perform rituals and to distribute invites for his daughter’s wedding on November 16.

Mr. Reddy, accompanied by his elder brother and former MLA G. Somashekara Reddy and his close associate T.H. Suresh Babu, BJP MLA for Kampli, came in an open-top car, waving to the crowds.

As he arrived from Hyderabad, his followers and several BJP leaders went up to the district border to greet him. People were seen standing on either side of Anantapur Road as he arrived to the bursting of crackers and waving of flags.

Movement of traffic was affected all along the road in the heart of the city and further up to Durgamma Temple as crackers were burst and a bike rally was taken out.

R. Chetan, Superintendent of Police, said that cases were being booked for taking out bike rallies and installing public address system without permission.