Overt act charge isnot against Gali: Jethmalani

HYDERABAD: Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who appeared for mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy in the special CBI court on Friday to argue on his fifth bail petition, told the court that the investigation agency did not attribute any overt act in the illegal mining case to his client. Jethmalani had earlier represented Emaar scam accused Koneru Rajendra Prasad seeking bail for him in the same court.Arguing for Reddy, Jethmalani said the CBI charge sheet did not mention any overt act by his client. The only overt act the agency attributed to Accused No 1 BV Srinivas Reddy was that he misrepresented the nature and quality of mineral by stating that the mineral available was expensive though it was  cheaper. Jethmalani contended that the CBI’s case was against Srinivas Reddy, the managing director of OMC, but not against the then director, Gali Janardhan Reddy.‘‘The CBI, in the chargesheet, alleged that the geologist of Geo-Environmental Labs signed a report certifying existence of quality ore in the mine under threat from Srinivas Reddy but not from Janardhan Reddy,’’ the counsel argued, pointing out that powers were delegated to the MD but it it was not the case with respect to director who could be a sleeping partner.