Hyderabad:
During her three days in CBI custody, IAS officer Y Srilakshmi reportedly stonewalled the agency's queries regarding who influenced her into opening up a loophole that allowed Gali Janardhan Reddy's Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) to mine ore in Anantapur district and ship it to destinations beyond the state. Her stock answers reportedly were: "I don't know." and "there was pressure from higher-ups and politicians." When pressed, she broke down.
In its counter-affidavit opposing bail for Srilakshmi, the CBI said the officer did not cooperate in the interrogation, remaining tight-lipped to queries on the two GOs that she signed in favour of OMC.
The IAS officer was produced in the CBI Special court at around 3.30 pm. Her husband M
Gopi Krishna, an Inspector General (IG) rank officer in the Crime Investigation Department (CID), had already arrived an hour earlier to confer with her counsel. As soon as Srilakshmi entered the court hall, Gopi Krishna walked over to her side and took her hands in his, in a gesture of reassurance. Members of her family were in the court.
Judge Naga Maruthi Sharma asked her, "Do you want to say anything?"
''I want to go to the CBI office, sir'' she replied.
She broke into tears as R M Khan, the CBI deputy superintendent of police, told the court that she would be taken to the Chanchalguda prison to spend her time in judicial custody until December 12. As she was led away, she handed over her handbag to her husband.
Her counsel V Surender Rao requested the magistrate to provide her proper medical facilities in prison, as she is a heart patient.