In a big relief for former Karnataka MLA and mining tycoon Gali Janardhan Reddy, the Telangana High Court has suspended his seven-year jail sentence in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam case. The court also granted him bail along with three others, but made it clear that they must follow strict conditions.

The High Court stayed the May 5th verdict of the CBI Special Court that had convicted Gali Janardhan Reddy and sent him to prison. Gali Janardhan Reddy will now remain out of jail while the appeal against his conviction is fully heard. As part of the bail conditions, Gali Janardhan Reddy has to surrender his passport, stay within India, and avoid any criminal activity during this time. He was also told to provide two sureties of ₹10 lakh each.

This case goes back to the years between 2007 and 2009, when Gali Janardhan Reddy was accused of illegal mining in the Obulapuram region of Andhra Pradesh. The CBI claimed the scam led to a loss of ₹1,200 crore to the government. After his conviction, Gali Janardhan Reddy lost his MLA position from the Gangavathi constituency in Karnataka.

Though Gali Janardhan Reddy has avoided going back to jail for now, his disqualification from the Assembly will remain unless the conviction is completely overturned. The mining case, one of the biggest corruption scandals in India, has been running for nearly 15 years. It includes hundreds of witnesses and thousands of pages of evidence, with several former government officials and company staff also facing charges.

With the High Court agreeing to hear his appeal, Gali Janardhan Reddy has gained some breathing room, but the legal fight is far from over.