New Delhi: The Supreme Court docket on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the 12-year delay in continuing the trial against former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in a critical offense involving unlawful mining. Calling the delay a “travesty of justice”, the bench demanded a report on why the matter has not proceeded regardless of a transparent route to expedite it from the highest courtroom in the past.
“Not to proceed further with the trial with respect to very serious offenses alleged cannot be permitted and it is nothing but a travesty of justice,” stated a bench of justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari.
“It is very unfortunate that the trial in CC No. 1 of 2012 pending before the Principal Special Judge for CBI cases, Hyderabad …. has not proceeded further even after a period of 12 years,” the bench stated, posting the case for the following listening to on September 20.
Reddy is an accused in the unlawful mining case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since 2009. The bench additionally ordered the highest courtroom’s registry to name for a report in a “sealed cover” from the decisions involved to know the stage of trial and an explanation over why the trial hasn’t proceeded.
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The courtroom was contemplating a CBI request to restore the bar on Reddy’s entry into Ballari. When the highest court granted bail to Reddy in January 2015, it barred him to remain from Ballari in Karnataka and neighboring districts of Ananthpuram and Cudappah in Andhra Pradesh. This bar was lifted at his request by the court on August 19, 2021. By the identical order, the courtroom particularly directed the trial to be expedited.
On Wednesday, nevertheless, CBI informed the Supreme Court docket that there had been no additional progress within the trial. Further, solicitor basic (ASG) Madhavi Divan, showing for CBI, informed the out that one of many witnesses filed a criticism on September 2 that he’s being threatened by Reddy.
In an affidavit filed final week, CBI informed the highest courtroom, “The hearing of the matter before the trial court is abnormally delayed due to the petitions being filed by the accused persons from time to time.” Apart from Reddy, there are eight different accused going through trial within the case which embraces former ministers and bureaucrats.
Citing the September 2 criticism of intimidation confronted by a witness within the case, CBI stated, “If this court directs the accused to stay in Ballari relaxing the bail conditions, there is every reason to apprehend that accused would intimidate and create a sense of insecurity among the witnesses in this case.”
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, showing for the petitioner, informed the courtroom that through the interval of bail, he visited Ballari a number of instances however not as soon as the police reported any risk or intimidation confronted by witnesses. The bench remarked, “That is because Ballari is your hometown. Police will not report against you. CBI is the complainant in this case.”
Following the SC order of August 2021 granting Reddy permission to enter and keep in Bellary, CBI is looking for cancellation or withdrawal of the order citing risk to witnesses and delayed trial. CBI has additionally urged the courtroom to direct the trial courtroom to resolve the matter at the earliest by setting a timeframe for completion of the trial.
Reddy was arrested on this case in September 2011 and CBI filed its supplementary cost sheets, the most recent one being filed in April 2014. Reddy claimed that the investigation within the case had been accomplished and opposed CBI's plea to maintain his exterior Ballari.
