Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 4: The state high court, on Tuesday September 3, stayed a judgement delivered by the special court for people's representatives here that had absolved former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, in an illegal iron ore mining case, absolving him of the charges under section 409 of the Indian Penal Code.

The single judge bench of the state high court presided over by Justice B A Patil, which heard the criminal review petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioning the subordinate court's judgement, stayed the operation of the said judgement. It also asked the court concerned to continue to hear the original suit in its entirety including charges under section 409.

Advocate P Prasanna Kumar, appearing on behalf of the CBI, said that the court does not have powers to make amendments in the charges or including fresh ones at the stage when charge sheet has been submitted, the case has been accepted for hearing and the witnesses are being examined. He argued that the judgement delivered by the said court on September 18, 2018, was illegal and defective. He therefore sought the judgement to be quashed.

The high court bench upheld this plea, stayed the judgement of the subordinate court, and adjourned hearing.