Illegal mining: HC disposes of PIL against Janardhana Reddy

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court today disposed of a PIL charging former Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy with flouting a lower court directives by not appearing before it despite nine non-bailable warrants issued against him.

A division bench disposed of the plea after Principal Secretary Home, S M Jamdar filed a report indicating that the department would take action against the concerned constable, inspector and other officials upto level of DySP for non-execution of NBWs by "misleading the court, lying and perjury", given the fact that Reddy was very much present in Bellary when the warrants were issued by JMFC court, Sandur.

Jamdar, in his report, stated that the department would initiate action against the said officials within a week.

Additional Advocate General K M Nataraj said the government would within a month deploy a constable each in the criminal courts in the state exclusively for purpose of execution of warrants and summons.

The PIL by advocate G R Mohan also sought a mandamus directing the Home Secretary and DGP to ensure that warrants/summons issued by criminal courts in the state, should be executed promptly for speedy trial.

In the light of the report filed by Jamdar and assurance given by Nataraj, a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice Ashok B Inche disposed of the PIL.

Reddy is currently in judicial custody in Hyderabad after CBI, probing alleged illegal mining and irregularities in allotment of mining leases to his Obulapuram Mining Company, arrested him from Bellary on September 5.