The special investigation team (SIT) personnel of Karnataka Lokayukta has arrested mining barren, and disgraced former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy. The SIT personnel, investigating into the export of iron ore from the Bellakere Port grilled the 43-year old Reddy for two hours on Friday.
At the end of the questioning, the SIT has announced that they were arresting him on the charges of illegally exporting iron ore from the Bellakere Port. Janardhana Reddy was out following a bail granted to him on January this year, on an appeal to the Supreme Court. After three years spending in jail in connection with the illegal export of iron ore from Obulapuram mines, he was granted bail, on imposition of several conditions. The court has stipulated Reddy not to visit Ballery in Karnataka, and Kadapa and Anantapuram in Andhra Pradesh. Also, bail was granted to him on executing two sureties to the tune of Rs 20 lakh.
Subsequent to the bail, the mining barren has approached the Apex Court seeking modification for relaxation in bail conditions, which the Central Bureau of Investigation has vehemently opposing. It was at this stage that once again the SIT of Karnataka Lokayukta has laid its hands on an alleged scam of illegally exporting iron ore from the Bellakere. It may be mentioned here that it was also the Karnataka Lokayukta headed by former Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde who had gone into the irregularities and shady deals of Gali Janardhana Reddy and his associates, resulting bringing an end the mining barren and his associates honey moon with the politics.