Congress, BJP deny involvement as Karnataka cops look out for Ballari mining baron Janardhan Reddy

The police said that they had been working on the case for the last 20 days, but waited till November 3 for the bypolls to be over for further action.

Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths entering the apartment house of Former Minister and mining baron, BJP Leader Gali Janardhana Reddy. (Pic Courtesy: IANS)

Speculations are rife in Karnataka over mining baron and former minister G Janardhan Reddy’s disappearance after the results of Ballari Lok Sabha by-elections. After the police, the major political players in the state – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – have also ruled out any political connection.

When asked if the Congress-JDS government was targeting the mining baron after the bypoll victory in Ballari, former chief minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa said that he did not agree with the theory.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the BJP leader said, “I don't agree, whoever has done wrong should be prosecuted. Everything should be done according to law and order.”

Karnataka minister and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar also ruled any interference by the state government in the lookout notice against G Janardhan Reddy, saying that law would take its own course in the case.

“A police investigation is going on since a long time, the government has nothing to do with this type of investigation. We don't want to interfere as he is a BJP leader. Law will take its own course,” said DK Shivakumar.

A day after his close aide Sriramalu’s sister, BJP candidate J Shantha, lost in the bypoll from Ballari Lok Sabha constituency against the Congress candidate, top officials of the Karnataka police said that they were on look out for Reddy , 

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar told news agency PTI that his team had been working on the case for the last 20 days, but waited till November 3 for the bypolls to be over for further action, so that it was not politicised.

Reddy, a Minister during the previous BJP rule, had been arrested by the CBI in 2011 over alleged multi-crore illegal mining scam and granted bail three years later.

Reacting to the latest development, Sriramulu claimed he did not have any information about the case and whereabouts of Reddy, but added and no one was above law.

"I don't have complete information...I have been saying no one is above law. Let law take its own course," he said.