God has given opportunity to serve: Former BJP minister says after suspension of conviction

Bengaluru, June 12 (PTI) A day after Telangana High Court suspended his conviction and sentence in illegal mining case, former BJP Minister in Karnataka, G Janardhan Reddy on Thursday said, the MLA position from which he was disqualified is restored, and the God has given him an opportunity to serve the people.

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted Reddy bail by suspending his conviction and prison sentence in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal iron ore mining case.

He was disqualified as the member of Karnataka Assembly, representing the Gangavati Constituency on May 8 following conviction in the OMC case.

"I already had licence for two mines allotted to me. The allegation made against me is that I obtained new mining licence through influence. The Hyderabad court announced sentence against me," Reddy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I appealed against it in the High Court, the High Court has granted me bail, the sentence and conviction against me have been suspended." Noting that he had got political rebirth when he won from Gangavati assembly segment by the grace of lord Hanuman of Anjanadri and the people, Reddy said, he will strive to develop Anjanadri, considered as the birth place of Hanuman, which comes under his constituency, on the lines of Tirupati and Ayodhya, and serve the people.

Pointing out that he had been in jail earlier for 42 months, Reddy in response to a question said, this time it was 36 days.

"It seems as though the God wants me to lead the life amid struggle, right from my childhood. I believe in my conscience and the judiciary, and I will continue my struggle," he added.

"I will work as a BJP worker to strengthen the organisation," he said as he thanked state BJP and its leaders for standing by him and his family during his difficult times.

A special CBI court in Hyderabad on May 6 convicted Janardhan Reddy and three others, including his brother-in-law and Managing Director of OMC, B V Srinivas Reddy, the then Director of Mines and Geology (Andhra Pradesh government) VD Rajagopal and Janardhan Reddy's assistant Mehafuz Ali Khan in the case and sentenced them to seven years' rigorous imprisonment.

Reddy had formed the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) ahead of the Assembly polls in 2023, snapping his two-decade-old association with the BJP, and won the Gangavati assembly seat.

He, however, rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by merging his outfit with the saffron party. PTI KSU ADB