In a significant legal development, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Gali Janardhan Reddy, former Karnataka minister and sitting MLA, in the high-profile Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case.
The relief comes nearly a month after the CBI Special Court had sentenced Reddy and three others — Srinivas Reddy, VD Rajagopal, and Ali Khan — to 7 years imprisonment on May 6, 2025. The case pertains to large-scale illegal extraction and export of iron ore from Obulapuram in Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2010.
On June 10, the Telangana High Court heard Reddy’s appeal challenging the conviction. After reviewing the arguments, Justice K. Lakshman granted the interim bail and stayed the sentence the following day, on June 11.
⚖️ Bail Conditions:
As part of the bail order, the court has imposed several restrictions:
Reddy is not allowed to leave India.
He must surrender his passport to the authorities.
He is required to submit a ₹10 lakh deposit and provide sureties from two individuals.
The court emphasized that the bail is temporary and does not imply acquittal or dismissal of the charges. The legal battle over the OMC scam is far from over, with more hearings expected in the coming weeks.
📂 Background:
The OMC illegal mining case is one of the most biggest mining scams in India, involving alleged illegal operations worth thousands of crores. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had pursued the case for over a decade, culminating in convictions earlier this year.
With the High Court now intervening, the spotlight returns to the long-running case and the powerful political figures at its center.
