Mining Baron Gali's Routine in Chanchalguda Jail
There's a saying in Telugu "Chakkanamma Chikkinaa Andamgaane Vuntundi", so is with mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, who is cooling heels along with his brother-in-law BV Srinivasa Redyy in Chanchalguda jail for the past six days. The Mr. Richie Rich is the richest even in jail! Undertrial prisoner No. 696 Gali Janardhana Reddy has carried Rs 30,000 into the Chanchalguda jail and that makes the Karnataka politician, perhaps the richest inmate.
When he was strip searched on his entry into the jail on September 5, the cash-rich Gali declared the huge amount of cash on him. When the CBI woke him up at 4 am at his Bellary house, the mining baron grabbed whatever cash he could hold before they arrested him. The Rs 30,000 that Gali brought to the prison has been deposited in what is known as the Prisoners Property Account (PPA). Not to be left behind, his brother-in-law too carried Rs 20,000 to the jail. His money has also been deposited in the PPA account.
With the cash they have got, both Janardhana Reddy and Srinivas Reddy can buy whatever they want to from the prison canteen. However, they cannot make any cash transactions. They will be given tokens for Rs 2, Rs 5 or Rs 10 and with this they can make their purchases, which they have been doing. It is learnt that they bought toothpaste, tooth brushes and biscuits, which they are entitled to.
Gali Janardhana Reddy and his associate B V Srinivas Reddy, whose UT No. is 697, have a view of small Shiva temple right from the prison cell which they are sharing. Another undertrial has also been lodged in the fourth barrack 'D' cell, that they have been lodged in. If Gali Janardhana Reddy and Srinivas Reddy were put only in the fourth barrack, they would have had to share space with more than 30 inmates but the 'cell' that has been given to them, allows them some amount of privacy. They use the attached toilet inside but the problem is with the bath. Along with other prisoners, the two have to take bath out in the open under the trees.
The 44-year-old Janardhana Reddy, it is learnt, has been looking weary. When he was brought into jail, Gali, who is 5ft 9inches tall, weighed 93 kg. The 5ft 4inches tall Srinivas Reddy weighed 103 kg. Having spent already six days in the jail, the diet will sure reflect on their weight soon.
On Saturday, Gali had some more visitors wanting to see him, but the jail authorities did not allow them in. However, prisons authorities did allow T H Suresh Babu, BJP MLA of Kampli in Bellary, Karnataka inside the jail. Suresh Babu is nephew of former Karnataka minister B Sreeramulu.
Both on Friday and Saturday, it was expected that Gali Janardhana Reddy's wife would come to the jail to visit her husband but this did not happen. In fact, the huge crowds which thronged the jail even on Friday to possibly see if they could meet Gali were not there on Saturday. They were, however, some groups which came and spent a few hours waiting to be called in.