The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an application made by former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy to allow him to "enter, stay and function" in the districts of Bellary in Karnataka and Ananthapuramu and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Reddy, an accused in an illegal mining case, had sought a modification of a condition imposed on him by the apex court while granting him bail in 2015. At the time, the apex court had ordered him not to "visit" Bellary, Ananthapuramu and Kadapa.
In a judgment, a Bench led by Justice M.R. Shah reasoned that Mr. Reddy was facing trial "for very serious offences". The case against him was investigated by the CBI. Most of the witnesses were from the three districts. The court took into consideration the CBI's apprehension that if Mr. Reddy was allowed to "enter, stay and function" in these districts, it may lead to tampering with or influencing of witnesses.
