Mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, one of India's richest politicians, spent his first night in Chanchalguda Central Jail was, however, not short of a small incident when he refused to eat the food that was given to him, saying that he had a packet of biscuits and was content with it. Like an ordinary prisoner he spent his night sleeping on the floor, Reddy was known for his king size living.

Reddy a king pin in the Bangalore political arena was the former Karnataka Tourism minister, who is said to fly in his helicopter from Bellary to Bangalore only to have breakfast.

Reddy and his brother-in-law Srinivasa Reddy  were arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early Monday in Bellary for illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh, brought to Hyderabad and remanded to judicial custody till Sep 19. Reddy was allotted number 697 while Srinivasa Reddy is prisoner number 696

The under trials are entitled to 600 grams rice, 100 grams dal and 250 grams vegetable curry a day informed a Jail official. For both breakfast was khichdi, like other under-trials, Janardhana Reddy will have to stand in queue for food, wash his own plate, clothes and sweep the surroundings.

They were not getting any special treatments as there were no court orders in the regard, informed the jail superintendent. They are supposed to be shifted to the barracks on Tuesday, where they will have to share with other petty offenders. In case their lawyers seek and get special class prisoner status for them, then necessary steps will be followed.

Incidentally, disgraced IT czar and former chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ramalinga Raju, is also lodged in the Chanchalguda Central Jail. He enjoys special class prisoner status. He is entitled to better diet and accommodation in a separate enclosure. He and eight other accused in multimillion Satyam accounting fraud are among 700 prisoners in the jail located in the old city and built in 1876.