HC reserves order on ex-min’s bail plea

Vijayawada: The high court on Monday reserved orders in the anticipatory bail petition filed by former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy in the case registered against him over alleged illegal quartz mining in Nellore district during the YSRCP regime. The court will pronounce the judgement on Wednesday.Arguing on behalf of the state govt, advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas vehemently opposed the grant of anticipatory bail. Stating that police secured evidence suggesting the involvement of Govardhan Reddy in illegal mining, he said mining dept officials wrote letters to the govt, expressing their unability to control illegal quartz mining in govt lands at Varadapuram. "Mining officials expressed their helplessness as neither revenue nor police supported them in containing the loot. The district mining officer clearly stated that politicians were involved in illegal mining. The amount of political pressure exerted on officials can be understood from the letter written by a district-level officer to his higher-ups," the advocate general argued.He further stated that the petitioner threatened the lease owner, and police did not take any action even after the original lease owner lodged a complaint. Illegal explosives were used without any permissions, and tribals who opposed the using of explosives were also threatened and abused. As the actions of the petitioner constitute an offence under the SC/ST Act and illegal storage of explosives are serious offences, the petitioner should not be granted anticipatory bail, he argued.Arguing on behalf of Govardhan Reddy, senior counsel Manohar Reddy said there is no evidence to suggest that the petitioner abused or threatened tribals and therefore the SC/ST Act would not apply to him. He said there is no truth in the allegation of threatening the lease owner and that the case is politically motivated. Considering the arguments, the high court reserved judgement.