Court summons wife of jailed mining baron G Janardhana Reddy

Bangalore: A Bangalore court has summoned Aruna Lakshmi, the wife of jailed mining baron and former Karnataka minister G Janardhana Reddy to appear before it on July 10 in an illegal mining case.

The summons were ordered on Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation special court judge BM Angadi who is trying Reddy, Aruna Lakshmi and four others on charges of illegal mining in Karnataka.

Aruna Lakshmi is the second accused in the case as she and Reddy own the Associated Mining Corporation (AMC) which is alleged to have indulged in illegal mining in Karnataka.

While Reddy has been in jail since September last year, Aruna Lakshmi has not been been arrested.

Reddy was in Hyderabad's Chanchalaguda jail till March this year in connection with illegal mining case in Andhra Pradesh. Since March he has been in a Bangalore jail and his plea for bail is being strongly opposed by the CBI.

Reddy's personal assistant Mehfuz Ali Khan and three others accused in the case were arrested later.

Angadi Monday extended till August four the judicial custody of Reddy, Khan and three other accused.

He granted time till July 10 to the CBI to file its objections to the bail plea of the five.