Minister for Law and Courts Erasu Pratap Reddy on Friday dismissed reports that appeared in a section of media that linked him with granting of bail to former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy in the illegal mining case.
Talking to media persons at Congress Legislature Party office, Erasu Prathap Reddy condemned media reports linking his name and a rowdy-sheeter in mediating with the judicial officials to grant bail to Janardhan Reddy. Stating that he would file a defamation suit against the news channel for damaging his public image, the Minister said that he was ready to quit politics permanently if the charges against him were proved with substantial evidence.
It may be mentioned after the High Court suspended CBI Court judge Pattabhi Rama Rao for granting bail to Janardhan Reddy, a section of electronic media carried reports alleging the involvement of a minister and a rowdy-sheeter in mediating with the judicial officials for bail to Janardhan Reddy. He said that he would bring the matter to the notice of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The minister said that he would also write a letter to the Press Council of India seeking strong action on media channel for damaging his public image. “I am shocked to see the media reports of my involvement. I instructed my staff to serve notices on the TV channel which telecast the news capsule first,” he said.
“Just because I am related to Gali Janardhan Reddy, the media cannot attribute the bail controversy to me. In fact, I am related to Jagan Mohan Reddy too. You should see my family background, the credibility and integrity of my late father E Ayyapu Reddy who served as a Union Minister, MLA and MP for several terms,” he said. (INN)