In a major relief, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday suspended the seven-year sentence and conviction of Karnataka BJP MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company illegal iron ore case. Justice K Lakshman granted conditional bail to Reddy along with three others — BV Srinivas Reddy, VD Rajagopal, and K Mehfuz Ali Khan — who were also convicted in the case. Each of them was asked to submit personal bonds worth ₹10 lakh and were barred from leaving the country without court permission.

The court acknowledged that the convicts had already completed half of their sentences, and also considered the deteriorating health conditions of Rajagopal and Srinivas Reddy. Further, the bench observed that Gali Janardhan Reddy remains a sitting legislator and that his disqualification had already been notified by the Karnataka Assembly. Justice Lakshman noted that a by-election could have irreversible consequences, prompting the court to suspend the convictions to avoid undue political disruption.

In a related twist, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revived proceedings against senior IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who had previously been discharged in the same case. The Supreme Court has remanded her case back to the High Court for fresh hearings. Justice Lakshman scheduled the matter for July 11, giving time for the CBI to file a detailed response.