Cash for bail scam: Another Karnataka legislator named in report

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), probing the cash-for-bail scam involving jailed former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, on Tuesday named his close associate and yet another MLA of that state B Sreeramulu, of playing a role towards securing Reddy's bail.

In its remand report submitted in a court in Hyderabad after arresting BJP's Kampli MLA TH Suresh Babu in the case, the ACB has claimed that further investigations had revealed that on April 21, Mr Sreeramulu had called up Suresh Babu and informed that one R Suryaprakash Babu of Hyderabad knew some judges and was ready to help in the matter of getting bail for Janardhan Reddy and that he had already asked Mr Suryaprakash to call him.

Mr Sreeramulu, a former BJP legislator, is now an MLA of his own party-- BSR Congress.

After some time, Mr Suryaprakash called up Suresh Babu from his mobile phone regarding the deal and informed that he knew a Registrar of Andhra Pradesh High Court, who could influence the CBI Judge (T Pattabhirama Rao) in the matter of granting bail to Janardhan Reddy.

Advertisement

Subsequently on May 3, Mr Suryaprakash again called Suresh Babu, informing him that he was speaking in the presence of judges Laxmi Narsimha Rao and D Prabhakar Rao (also accused in the case and suspended), who could "manage" Pattabhirama Rao.

According to the remand report, Suresh Babu asked Mr Suryaprakash to contact Janardhan Reddy's brother and Bellary city MLA Gali Somashekhar Reddy to discuss the deal and other things directly.

Advertisement

As per the phone call details, Suryaprakash was in constant touch with Suresh Babu between April 21 and May 7, the ACB said.

Later, Somashekhar Reddy struck a deal for Rs 20 crore with one history-sheeter Yadagiri Rao (already arrested), who on May 10, arranged a meeting involving Pattabhirama's son and retired judge T V Chalpathi Rao towards the grant of bail.

Advertisement

Somashekhar Reddy, however, told Yadagiri that he would give Rs 10 crore when the bail is given by the CBI court and the remaining Rs 10 crore after seeing the bail order.