Hyderabad: In a significant relief to former Karnataka Minister G. Janardhan Reddy, the Telangana High Court this morning granted him conditional bail in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam case.

Pronouncing the verdict, Justice K. Lakshman also stayed his conviction and disqualification, clearing the way for his possible reinstatement as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

As per the bail conditions, Reddy must furnish two sureties worth Rs. 10 lakh each. He has also been directed not to leave the country and to surrender his passport to the authorities.

The case relates to illegal mining operations by the OMC, for which the CBI Special Court had sentenced Janardhan Reddy, along with B.V. Srinivasa Reddy, V.D. Rajagopal (IAS, Retd.) and Mehafus Ali Khan, to seven years of imprisonment. All four had approached the High Court seeking suspension of their sentences.

Senior Advocates B. Nalin Kumar and Nagamuthu, representing the petitioners, argued that their clients had already undergone three-and-a-half years of imprisonment and appealed for suspension of the sentence, particularly citing the revocation of Reddy’s Legislative membership.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary had already issued a notification cancelling Reddy’s MLA membership. The Counsels argued that if a by-election was notified to fill the seat, the petitioner would suffer irreparable loss. They assured the Court that detailed arguments and proof would be submitted during the appeal hearing. The defence also referred to similar high-profile cases involving Afzal Ali Khan, Rahul Gandhi and Navjot Singh Sidhu concerning the cancellation and reinstatement of Legislative memberships.