HYDERABAD, June 9: A day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court transferred the cash-for bail scam case from CBI to ACB, the latter registered a case against suspended First Additional Special Court Judge for CBI cases T Pattabhirama Rao and six others here today.
The Judge had granted bail on May 11 to former Karnataka BJP Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case by allegedly striking a deal.
The ACB has registered the case under Prevention of Corruption Act 13 (1), 13 (2), 120 (b), 420 and 417 of IPC.
The cash-for-bail scam case would be probed by the ACB Central Investigating Unit, sources said.
The cases were also filed against Mr Janardhan Reddy’s brother and Karnataka MLA G Somasekhara Reddy, Judge’s Son Ravi Chandra, former Judge and Mr Pattabhirama Rao’s classmate Chalapathi Rao, Rowdysheeter Yadigiri, Suresh Babu and D Rami Reddy for being involved in the scandal.
The CBI, which had earthed the scam, handed over the relevant files to ACB officials at the instance of the High Court here after it had found that there was prima facie evidence of wrong doing.
As the cases have been registered, the ACB is expected to arrest the Judge and six others shortly.
The case is related to bail granted to Mr Janardhan Reddy by the Judge on May 11. One Cabinet Minister from Andhra Pradesh, two legislators from Karnataka, ex-judge Chalapathi Rao and a rowdy sheeter had allegedly played a key role in striking the deal.
Growing suspicious over the CBI Judge granting bail to Mr Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company case and refusing bail to suspended IAS officer Srilakshmi in the case, the CBI started investigations after getting a go-ahead from the then High Court Chief Justice Madan B Lokur.
The investigators tapped the judge’s phone and questioned him, his son and others.
After preliminary investigations, the matter was informed to the then Chief Justice, who suspended the judge on June 1.
Reddy’s brother and Karnataka legislator G Somasekhara Reddy allegedly met the middlemen in a hotel here to finally strike the deal.
However, Andhra Pradesh Law Minister E Pratap Reddy, who
Was a relative of Janardhan Reddy, had denied that he played a role in Judge’s bribery case.
The Judge reportedly demanded Rs 15 crore for grant of bail to Mr Reddy after he was arrested by the CBI at Bellary in the neighbouring Karanataka state on September 5, 2011.
Janardhana Reddy’s relatives and followers allegedly bargained with Rao for payment of Rs five crore but a deal was finally struck for Rs ten crore.
An advance of Rs three crore was allegedly delivered to Mr Rao before the judgement was given and the balance was to be paid later.
The CBI had also recovered nearly Rs two crore from a nationalised bank in Ashok Nagar here after the money allegedly received by the judge was deposited in the bank.
Earlier, a special team from CBI had also carried out searches on June 2 at the residences of former judge Chalapathi Rao at Chilakuluripet in Guntur District and in Guntur after he allegedly played a role in getting the bail of Mr Janardhan Reddy.
The CBI team had also seized important documents from the former Judge’s residence.
The CBI team also conducted searches at the residences of document writer Srinivasa Rao and Advocate Tarakaram besides questioning Mr Rao’s brother in this connection. (UNI)
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