Bags packed, fans ready, Janardhan Reddy could walk free today

Bengaluru: Dozens of fans and supporters of the mining baron Janardhan Reddy performed milk ‘abhisheka’ on his posters and banners put up near the Parappana Agrahara prison premises. Despite the city police enforcing Section 144 in the half kilometre radius surrounding the prison, the supporters smashed coconuts on the road on Thursday, while eagerly waiting for their leader’s release. “It looks like Friday is an auspicious day for our leader to walk out of the prison,” said one of the supporters.

“As the local CBI court sureties were still not furnished for a pending case, the release orders have not yet reached the prison and the release of Reddy is likely to happen only on Friday noon,” said Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (L&O).

After the Supreme Court granted bail to Janardhan Reddy on Tuesday, the city police enforced Section 144 around prison premises in order to prevent any untoward incidents, as it happened in March 2012 when Reddy was brought to city civil court from Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad. The city was hit by violence between media personnel of TV channels, advocates and the police. “Since Mr Reddy’s release did not happen on Thursday, Section 144 has been extended to Friday midnight. Within half kilometre radius, if more than four persons have assembled stern action will be taken,” said Alok Kumar. Depending on the strength of supporters who come here on Friday, we will deploy extra police personnel from Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), he added.

Dozens of supporters, both from Ballari and Raichur, told this newspaper that they were going to stay in the city tonight as leaders like B. Sriramalu, Suresh Babu, MLA and others are heading to the city. “There are about 500 supporters who have boarded the train from Ballari to reach Bengaluru on Friday morning to celebrate our leader’s release,” said Sudhakaran, one of the supporters. “As per what we hear from our seniors, all the formalities for release will be completed by Friday noon and he will walk out of the prison by 3:00 pm,” he added.

‘Will pack bags only when orders come’

Though the jail menu on Friday was ‘Puliyogare’ in the morning, Rice and Sambar at noon and rice, chappathi, Raagi mudde with greens, dal, Bengal gram curry and ladies fingers for dinner, mining baron Janardhan Reddy's menu for the day was home diet according to the court orders, said DIG Prisons, Jayasimha to Deccan Chronicle. Though Mr. Reddy seems to be extremely happy with the Supreme Court's decision of granting him bail, he has not packed up for his release, the DIG added.

“Let the release orders reach the jail officials and then I will prepare for moving out,” is what Janardhan Reddy said to DIG when he was on his regular rounds after the news of his bail being granted, broke out. No one has come to meet him since Tuesday and the last time his brother Somashekhar Reddy and a lawyer met him was one week back, recalls Mr. Jayasimha. Mr. Reddy was always silent, kept to himself and is found most of the time reading in his cell in the security barrack and this his everyday routine. His home diet as per court orders reaches him regularly at the prison by an entrusted aide from one of his relatives’ house here in the city, he added.

Except for his back pain, he has no other physical ailments and had hardly visited the jail hospital over the last five months since I have taken charge, but he is taking some medicines for his back pain, added Mr. Jayasimha. He has spent about 3-1/2 years in jail until now.