Janardhana Reddy summoned as witness by SIT in case against H D Kumaraswamy

Accused of illegal mining, Janardhana Reddy has been asked to appear before the Lokayukta SIT as witness in another case

Mining baron and former BJP MLC Gali Janardhana Reddy has been summoned as a witness by a special investigation team of the Lokayukta. Reddy who appeared before the SIT sought three weeks time to revert. Janardhana Reddy was summoned to provide evidence against former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy in a 2006 bribery allegation involving the Janthakal mining company case.

"I have been summoned by the SIT and I will appear before them. They have asked for evidence and whatever proof I have, I will give it to them," Janardhana Reddy told reporters earlier in the day. In 2006, when Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister, Janardhana Reddy had claimed that he had CDs that contained conversations between Kumaraswamy and mining company owners. Reddy had alleged that Kumaraswamy demanded a bribe of Rs 150 crore from mining company owners to renew licenses.

The Lokayukta SIT had sent a notice to Janardhana Reddy asking him to provide video proof to substantiate his allegations. In 2006, Reddy had claimed that he had CDs of Kumaraswamy seeking bribes from mining company owners to renew licenses of mining tenders in Chitradurga. Reddy who had initially claimed that he had incriminating evidence against Kumaraswamy, then Forest Minister C Chennigappa and then Home Minister M P Prakash had ultimately failed to provide the same.

OneIndia News