Bengaluru: A wedding can't get bigger, fatter

Bengaluru: The former BJP minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy’s daughter’s gala wedding has caught the attention of the Income Tax Department, which has reportedly set in motion an investigation into the actual expenses that have been incurred in the alleged Rs 500 crore wedding, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at the Bengaluru Palace Grounds.

Though officers in the I-T Department are tightlipped about the investigation, it is reliably learnt that they are examining the actual expenditure and the source of money, given the fact that most of Mr Reddy’s assets were seized after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him in September 2011 in the Obalapuram Mining case.

Subsequently, a special anti-money laundering court had attached assets worth over Rs 37.88 crore belonging to him and his wife Lakshmi Aruna.

“He (Janardhan Reddy) has planned a lavish wedding for his daughter and the expenses are estimated to be around Rs 500 crore. The I-T Department will investigate the amount that has been spent and the source of money and if there is any irregularity in terms of use of unaccounted or nondeclared income, the Department will take necessary action against Reddy,” said an official source.

But sources close to Reddy said that he may be using legitimate money, which he may have raised after pledging his properties. “The agencies had frozen only those assets, which were borne out of crime or ill-gotten wealth. Some of them may have been defrozen if they found no illegality. One must not forget that in 2008, he had declared his income around Rs 50,000 crore. His daughter’s grand wedding is his announcement to the world that he is back in business (read politics),” the officer said.

Security by Reddy, not police
Only skeletal staff of police was found deployed at the Palace Grounds on Tuesday. "As the wedding planners and event managers have arranged their own security personnel, we have only our skeletal staff deployed from both law and order as well as traffic," said a senior police officer from Sheshadripuram sub-division. Police personnel from High Grounds police station were at the ground managing traffic and crowd on Tuesday. The police will not provide elaborate security cover for Janardhan Reddy's daughter's wedding on Wednesday, as the organisers have themselves arranged security personnel in the way of bouncers for the wedding.

Over 10,000 to attend
Over 10,000 guests are expected to attend the wedding of the mining baron's daughter Brahmini on Wednesday. Apart from regular traffic policemen, there would not be any additional traffic policemen to manage the traffic as the ample space for the parking would ensure there is no problem. "However depending upon the situation and the necessities as-needed decisions would be made and managed," a senior police officer said adding that there was no requisition from anyone for security in this regard. As of now, there are no VIP or VVIP movements communicated to us and hence we have not provided any security cover for the same. However, if there are any VVIP/VIP movements, then we will take up the required measures, another police officer said.