Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in the high-profile Obulapuram illegal mining case. The court has also stayed his conviction and disqualification as a legislator, clearing the path for his return to the Karnataka Assembly.

Justice K. Lakshman, who heard the matter, observed that there was no need to enforce the seven-year prison sentence at this stage, and issued interim orders granting bail.

The special CBI court in Hyderabad had, on May 6, 2025, convicted Reddy and three others – Srinivas Reddy, V.D. Rajagopal, and Ali Khan – in a multi-crore illegal mining scam linked to the Obulapuram Mining Company, sentencing them to seven years in prison.

Following the conviction, Janardhan Reddy was sent to Chanchalguda Central Jail in Hyderabad, and the Gangavathi Assembly seat was declared vacant. The Election Commission was reportedly preparing to announce a by-election for the constituency.

However, the High Court’s stay on his conviction now puts the bypoll on hold.

As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Reddy to furnish two sureties worth Rs 10 lakh each and surrender his passport to prevent any attempt to leave the country.