This Article is From Mar 12, 2012

Illegal mining: Janardhana Reddy's custody ends today

Illegal mining: Janardhana Reddy's custody ends today
Bangalore: The CBI custody of former Karnataka minister Janardhan Reddy ends today and he will be produced in the civil court in Bangalore.

Mr Reddy is charged with involvement in illegal mining. It was during his last appearance in court that violence broke out between lawyers, journalists and police - in a stand-off that lasted several hours. Clearly, the police will take no chances over security.

Sixty five people, including 52 police personnel, were injured when lawyers attacked mediapersons who were in the city civil court complex to cover the appearance of former minister and mining baron Janardhan Reddy in a mining case on March 2. The riot lasted for an hour and subsided after the police resorted to a lathi-charge and tear-gassing.

Lawyers have been boycotting courts the whole of last week following the incident - they allege police violence against lawyers.

Mr Reddy was arrested from Bellary in September last year. The CBI, probing "illegal" mining and irregularities in allotment of leases to Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC), had arrested Mr Reddy and his brother-in-law Srinivas Reddy, who is Managing Director of the company.


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