Karnataka HC seeks response from state govt on CBI plea to attach former minister Janardhana Reddy’s properties

In the plea filed in the high court last week, the CBI stated the state government had not acted on its requisition for the attachment of Reddy’s properties for four months. The agency stated that the mining scam accused had, meanwhile, begun to sell off properties after getting wind of the CBI’s move to attach his properties.

The CBI stated that Reddy and others who were involved in large-scale illegal mining in Bellary and surrounding areas “caused wrongful loss of Rs 198 crore to the government exchequer” by illegal export of 6.05 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore in the 2009-2011 period.

The CBI argued that the state government had given its consent earlier in 2015 for the attachment of properties worth Rs 65 crore and that subsequently more properties were identified in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana which are valued at 19.14 crore.

A requisition was made on August 30, 2022, for the attachment of these properties which has not been granted, the CBI stated. The agency said Reddy started efforts to sell some of his properties which are in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Reddy is currently being prosecuted by the CBI in four cases pertaining to illegal mining and corruption in Karnataka from the 2009-2011 period – when he was a powerful minister in the BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa. The cases are under trial at present and Reddy has been enlarged on bail but is barred from entering Bellary.

On December 25, 2022, Reddy launched his own political party, Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha, which will contest the 2023 Karnataka polls.

Reddy claimed his party would follow the ideals of social reformer Basavanna and oppose “the divisive politics pursued in the name of religion and caste”. His brothers G Karunakar Reddy and G Somashekar Reddy are MLAs in the ruling BJP government in Karnataka. Reddy’s close associate Sriramulu is a minister in the government.