The Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court, hearing the illegal mining cases, on Monday extended the CBI custody of the former Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy by another four days.
Mr. Reddy, who has been in the CBI's custody since March 2 after he was brought to Karnataka, was produced before the Special CBI Judge D.M. Angadi at the makeshift court complex in Parappana Agrahara, on the city's outskirts.
While the CBI sought the extension of custody, Mr. Reddy's defence opposed it.
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The CBI in Karnataka is investigating the role of Associated Mining Company (AMC) and Deccan Mining Syndicate (DMS), both owned by Mr. Reddy, in illegal mining cases after the Supreme Court expanded the scope of illegal mining probe. The former Minister had already been arrested by the CBI on September 5, 2011 in connection with the alleged illegal activities of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).
Judge Angadi has also directed the prosecution to file objections to the bail application filed by Mr. Reddy when case will come up for hearing on March 16. The hearing took place for about an hour, advocate M.S. Shyam Sundar said and added that only CBI officials and a couple of lawyers besides Mr. Reddy, were present in the court hall.
The Special CBI Court hearing Mr. Reddy's case was moved to Parappana Agrahara from the City Civil Court complex for security reasons, as the city court complex witnessed violence after a group of advocates allegedly manhandled mediapersons on March 2.
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Meanwhile, on Monday, Mr. Reddy was driven to the court premises in a convoy of seven vehicles around 2 p.m. While he was seen seated in a white ambassador car when he was brought in, he was taken back in a van.
The former Tourism Minister was seen to be in a cheerful mood while he was being driven out of the court. He voluntarily slid opened the glass window, craned his neck out and said: “(B.) Sriramuluge Jayavagali (hail Sriramulu); (B.) Sriramulu partyge Jayavagali (hail Sriramulu's party).”