Hyderabad, Sep 23 (IANS) The Telangana lawyers' continuing protest Friday again forced the adjournment of hearing of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) petition for further custody of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy and his brother-in-law Srinivasa Reddy in illegal mining case.

The special court for CBI cases Friday deferred the hearing on CBI petition to Sep 29. The CBI plea is likely to be taken up on that day along with the bail pleas of the accused.

The court earlier Thursday adjourned the hearing on bail petitions to Sep 29.

Lawyers supporting the demand for a separate Telangana state are boycotting the courts in the region.

The CBI is seeking custody of Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) director Janardhana Reddy and managing director Srinivasa Reddy for nine days.

It was on Sep 19 that the court had extended the judicial custody of the accused till Oct 3. The same day, the CBI moved a petition seeking their custody. The agency had earlier questioned them for six days.

The two were arrested by the CBI from Bellary in Karnataka Sep 5 over the illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.

Meanwhile, Janardhana Reddy's aide Swastik Nagaraju Friday appeared before the CBI. He reportedly told the investigators that he has no business links with the former Karnataka minister.