CBI probes Reddy visitors in city jail

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With the CBI intensifying its investigation into the 'bribe for bail' case, a team of the agency's officials reportedly landed at the Parappana Agrahara Prison in the city to collect information relating to the time when former minister G. Janardhana Reddy was lodged there in judicial custody since March 2.

The CBI team ploughed through CCTV footage since March 2 and has also reportedly gathered call details from the PCO on the prison premises. Sources said the team examined the CCTV visuals of visitors who have called on the tainted mining baron during his stay at the central prison. The CBI team collected details regarding the visits of close associates and relatives of Mr Reddy during his stay in the prison and also screened the visitors' register.

The CBI special court judge in Hyderabad, Mr Pattabhi Rama Rao, had granted bail to Mr Reddy in the OMC case on May 12, which was stayed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 24. Subsequently, on May 30, a CBI special court in Bengaluru dismissed the bail application filed by Mr Reddy in the Associated Mining Company case. The same day, the CBI chargesheeted Mr Reddy and six others, including his wife Lakshmi Aruna, in the AMC case under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Meanwhile, Mr Reddy's brother Mr Somashekhara Reddy denied any role in the 'bribe for CBI court judge' case. In a statement, the Bellary MLA has accused the CBI probe of being politically motivated.
“The politically motivated CBI and a politically motivated section of the press have conspired to subvert the administration of justice and are trying to harm my brother. Whereas after 9 months in jail, my brother had every right to be enlarged on bail and an unrelated event of a CBI judge being raided and questioned by CBI is being unnecessarily linked with our case only to prejudice the minds of judges of the High Court, specially since his bail appeal is coming up on June 5 before the AP High Court”,' he stated.