CBI Court Sentences Gali Janardhan Reddy and Other Accused to 7 Years in Jail
The Special CBI Court in Nampally has delivered its final verdict in the long-standing Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case, which had stirred significant political tremors in the state. This ruling comes after an extensive legal process spanning approximately fifteen years.
The court has convicted Gali Janardhan Reddy, B.V. Srinivasa Reddy (Managing Director of OMC), K. Mehfuz Ali Khan (personal assistant to Gali Janardhan Reddy), then Director of Mines V.D. Rajagopal, and the Obulapuram Mining Company itself. Each has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by the CBI court.
In contrast, the court has acquitted former Minister for Mines of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh Sabitha Indra Reddy. Also acquitted was retired IAS officer Kripanandam, who served as the then Secretary for Industries. According to information available, the court found that the charges against them were not substantiated.
The court categorized the accused as follows: B.V. Srinivasa Reddy as Accused No. 1 (A1), Gali Janardhan Reddy as A2, V.D. Rajagopal as A3, OMC as A4, and K. Mehfuz Ali Khan as A7—all of whom were found guilty. Kripanandam (A8) and Sabitha Indra Reddy (A9) were declared not guilty.
During the course of the trial, A5, identified as Forest Department official Lingareddy, passed away. Another accused, senior IAS officer Srilakshmi (A6), had already been fully discharged from the case by an order of the Telangana High Court in 2022.
The court has convicted Gali Janardhan Reddy, B.V. Srinivasa Reddy (Managing Director of OMC), K. Mehfuz Ali Khan (personal assistant to Gali Janardhan Reddy), then Director of Mines V.D. Rajagopal, and the Obulapuram Mining Company itself. Each has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by the CBI court.
In contrast, the court has acquitted former Minister for Mines of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh Sabitha Indra Reddy. Also acquitted was retired IAS officer Kripanandam, who served as the then Secretary for Industries. According to information available, the court found that the charges against them were not substantiated.
The court categorized the accused as follows: B.V. Srinivasa Reddy as Accused No. 1 (A1), Gali Janardhan Reddy as A2, V.D. Rajagopal as A3, OMC as A4, and K. Mehfuz Ali Khan as A7—all of whom were found guilty. Kripanandam (A8) and Sabitha Indra Reddy (A9) were declared not guilty.
During the course of the trial, A5, identified as Forest Department official Lingareddy, passed away. Another accused, senior IAS officer Srilakshmi (A6), had already been fully discharged from the case by an order of the Telangana High Court in 2022.