Ballari: Former minister, Gali Janardhan Reddy, who was expecting to be released on bail on Tuesday, will have to spend more time in jail with the Supreme Court putting off the hearing of his bail application to next month.

The court had on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reconsider the conditions imposed for granting bail to Mr Reddy in an illegal mining case against his Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).

The mining baron’s counsel, Dushyant Dave, had objected to one of the seven conditions set by the CBI for his release. According to reliable sources, the CBI has insisted on the court barring Mr Reddy from visiting Ballari after getting out on bail and on him remaining in Bengaluru. It has made it clear he cannot go abroad and will have to report to the jurisdictional police station once a week. He has also been told not to threaten witnesses or destroy evidence.

The conditions were listed in an affidavit submitted by Additional Solicitor General, Maninder Singh, appearing for the CBI. A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice H L Dattu, heard both sides and later adjourned the hearing to next month much to the disappointment of the Reddy camp.

The court had on November 28 indicated it could consider granting conditional bail to Mr Reddy, who has been in jail for three years now since he was picked up by the CBI on charges of illegal mining. He has applied for bail on grounds of poor health, among others. The CBI had been given time till December 15 by the court to lay down the conditions under which the former minister could be granted bail.