Iron ore baron Janardhan Reddy walks out of jail

G Janardhan Reddy, the Bellary mining baron and former minister in the Karnataka government, walks free today as his term in police custody has ended.

Janardhan is charged with involvement in illegal mining of iron ore through the Obalapuram Mining Co, which he controls along with his brother G Karunakara Reddy (also a former state minister).

Srinivas Reddy, managing director of the company and brother-in-law of Janardhan, remains in custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Janardhan's last appearance in court on 2 March saw violence between lawyers, journalists and police in an infamous incident where 65 people, including 52 police personnel and several media persons, were injured after lawyers physically attacked media present to cover the proceedings.

Lawyers have been boycotting courts ever since the incident, alleging police violence against lawyers. On the other hand, the media has also raised an outcry calling for action against the lawyers involved.

Reddy was arrested from his home town in Bellary district on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border in September last year (See: Mining baron Janardhan Reddy, brother-in-law arrested).