Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday issued notices to former minister and BRS MLA Sabita Indra Reddy and retired IAS officer Kripanandam in the long-running Sabita Indra Reddy OMC case. The move came after the CBI filed a petition challenging their acquittal by the Nampally CBI court.
Acting on the plea, the High Court directed both Sabita and Kripanandam to submit counter-affidavits. The bench adjourned the next hearing to September 6.
The case pertains to illegal mining by Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC). After a 15-year trial, the CBI court convicted five individuals, including former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, and acquitted Sabita and Kripanandam. The court sentenced Janardhan Reddy to seven years in prison and fined each convict ₹10,000. OMC itself was fined ₹2 lakh.
Those convicted included BV Srinivasa Reddy, Mefaz Ali Khan, and VD Rajagopal, then director of the Mines Department. The court found them guilty of enabling large-scale illegal mining operations.
The CBI, however, appealed against the acquittals of Sabita and Kripanandam, prompting the latest High Court action.
Earlier, the Telangana High Court had granted bail to all four convicts Janardhan Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy, Rajagopal, and Ali Khan—after the CBI court verdict.
