The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Gali Janardhan Reddy, a former Karnataka minister accused in an illegal mining case, to visit and stay till November 6 in Bellary district to meet his daughter.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari noted that even after a period of 11 years of filing the FIR, the trial in the case has not begun and directed the special court to conduct trial on a day-to-day basis and complete the whole exercise in six months from November 9 without fail.
The top court said that in a case like this, it is always in the larger interest that the trial is concluded at the earliest.
It said that early conclusion of the trial would enhance the faith of people in the justice delivery system and any attempt on the part of the accused to delay the trial of serious offences is to be dealt with iron hands.
More the delay, more the possibilities of influencing the witnesses, it said.
"As it is reported that the daughter of the applicant has delivered a child recently and now she is at Bellary, the applicant is permitted to stay at Bellary up to November 6, 2022.
"It is specifically directed that the applicant shall move out of Bellary and remain out of Bellary in Karnataka and Districts of Anantapur and Cuddapah in Andhra Pradesh from November 7, 2022 till the trial is concluded," the bench said.
The apex court also directed that in the special court proceedings, the prosecution may first examine the witnesses from Bellary in Karnataka and District of Anantapur and Cuddapah in Andhra Pradesh as far as possible.
"It will be the duty of the investigating agency to keep all the witnesses present for the purpose of their depositions/examination.... All the accused are hereby directed to cooperate with the special court in conclusion of the trial at the earliest and within the period stipulated hereinabove and any attempt on the part of the accused to delay the trial shall be viewed very seriously," the bench said.
Reddy, accused in a multi-crore illegal mining case, has been out on bail since 2015 and several conditions were imposed by the apex court in its order, including prohibiting him from visiting Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy had sought permission to visit Bellary to meet his daughter who recently gave birth to a girl.
Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy, managing director of the Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC), were arrested by CBI on September 5, 2011, from Bellary and brought to Hyderabad.
The company is accused of changing mining lease boundary markings and indulging in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest area, spread over Bellary in Karnataka and the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
While granting bail, the top court had directed him to surrender his passport before the trial court concerned and not to leave the country without the permission of the trial judge.
