Mining baron Reddy completes two years in jail

September 4, 2013

Bangalore, Sep 4: Gali Janardhana Reddy, who rode to riches on booming iron ore exports in the last decade and virtually lorded over the BJP in Karnataka for over five years, completes two years behind bars Sep 5 on charges of illegal mining.

The former Karnataka minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party has spent most of the two years in Hyderabad's Chanchalaguda Central Jail. Of and on, he has been in Bangalore's main prison at Parappana Agrahara in the eastern part of the city.

The 46-year-old Reddy, one of three sons of an Andhra Pradesh police constable, is fighting cases of illegal mining of iron and its export from both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. His pleas for bail have been rejected many times by courts in both states.

One of his brothers, Gali Somashekara, a former BJP legislator, also spent some time in jail as he is an accused in what came to be known as the cash-for-bail deal last year.

Another brother, Gali Karunakara, has so far not been snared in illegal mining and cash-for-bail scams. He lost the May 5 assembly election.

Somashekara did not contest the assembly polls, claiming that getting Janardhana out of jail was more important to him.

Janardhana was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation Sep 5, 2011, from his palatial home in Bellary, about 300 km from Bangalore on the Karnataka-Andhra border, and was lodged in Hyderabad's Chanchalaguda jail over an illegal mining case in that state.

Though hailing from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the Reddy brothers made Bellary, the iron-ore rich district of Karnataka on the border of the two states, their home.

Janardhana and his wife Laskhmi Aruna own the Obulapuram Mining Company which operated in Andhra Pradesh. They also own Associated Mining Company which operated in Karnataka.

Lakshmi Aruna is also an accused in the Karnataka case, but has not been arrested.

As he spent time in the two jails, Janardhana also saw the decline of fortunes of the brothers' close associate and former BJP minister B. Sriramulu, who quit the BJP and floated a party which fared miserably in the May 5 assembly elections, winning just four seats in the 225-member house that includes one nominated member.

Sriramulu also faced the heat over the cash-for-bail deal. He has been interrogated by the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau, but not arrested.

The Reddy brothers joined the BJP just ahead of the 1999 Lok Sabha elections.

They became close to the party's fiery leader Sushma Swaraj as she took on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who contested from Bellary also, besides family stronghold Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

Sushma Swaraj has since distanced herself from the Bellary brothers, who used to call her 'thayi' (mother).

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PM Modi vows to strengthen India-Maldives ties, inks currency swap deal with President Muizzu

News Network

October 7,2024

New Delhi: Seeking to strengthen bilateral ties, India and the Maldives on Monday inked a currency swap agreement to the tune of $400 million, a move that would help the archipelago nation overcome foreign exchange reserve issues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu also launched Rupay card in the Maldives, inaugurated the new runway at the Hanimadhoo International airport and agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations that had hit a rocky patch last year.

Muizzu, who is on a four-day state visit, held talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House here.

After the talks, India also handed over 700 social housing units to the Maldives built under the EXIM Bank’s buyer’s credit facilities.

"Today, we have inaugurated the redeveloped Hanimaadhoo Airport. Now, the Greater Male Connectivity Project will also be expedited. We will also support the development of a new commercial port in Thilafushi," Modi told reporters here with Muizzu by his side.

Modi said India and Maldives have decided to initiate discussion on the Free Trade Agreement to further strengthen economic ties.

The prime minister described Maldives as a "close friend" which had an important position in India's neighbourhood policy and SAGAR vision.

"India has always fulfilled the responsibilities of a neighbour. Today, we have taken up the vision of a comprehensive economic and maritime security partnership to give our mutual cooperation a strategic direction," Modi said.

Earlier, Muizzu was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Droupadi Murmu. Prime Minister Modi was also present on the occasion.

Muizzu was given a tri-services guard of honour before he drove down the Rajghat to offer his respects at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November.

Muizzu won the presidential election last year on the 'India out' campaign and asked New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel posted in the archipelago nation by May this year.

The bilateral ties also hit a rocky patch when Maldivian ministers were critical of Modi. However, Muizzu has since toned down his anti-India stance and even sacked ministers who were critical of the Indian prime minister.

As the Maldives was grappling with a serious economic downturn, India has decided to extend vital budgetary support to the Maldives government with the rollover of a $50 million Treasury Bill for another year.

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