Excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was arrested on Thursday by the Central Bureau of Investigation for his role in the Vanpic projects scam in relation to the disproportionate assets’ case of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He is the first minister to be arrested in the case and the fourth accused to be taken in custody.
Mr Venkataramana, who arrived at the multi-disciplinary investigation team office of the CBI at the Dilkusha Guest House at 11 am on Thursday — the second consecutive day for questioning — was arrested at 12.30 pm.
Sources said that the minister was speechless for a while after CBI officials informed him that he was being arrested. News of his arrest was passed on to AP Legislative Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohor, the general administration department and the minister’s family.
Mr Venkataramana has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for conspiracy and cheating. The CBI has alleged that the minister had conspired with industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and other officials and had approved the GO No. 30 that dealt with awarding the project and approval of the concession agreement and GO No. 29 of 2008 regarding the revision of port limits of Vadarevu and Nizampatnam.
The investigating agency is also probing the minister’s links with alleged benami persons who received excess amounts for land acquisition to the tune of `300 crores. The CBI has found that Mr Prasad had exaggerated the total expenditure at about `450 crores against actual payments of `150 crores.
Officials are also identifying certain properties the minister had purchased allegedly with ill-gotten money.
Investigating official and CBI SP H. Venkatesh said, “Investigations revealed that Venkataramana approved the Cabinet memorandum containing proposals for awarding the Vanpic project withholding aspects related to the project. The total extent of land decided for the project was revised.”
The minister had also approved the draft concession agreement with many contradictory provisions detrimental to the interests of the state government which gave outright advantage to the concessionaire.