Gali gypped bailgate middleman: CBI

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The cash-for-bail scam of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy has all ingredients of a masala movie, with betrayals, bluff and twists. Rowdysheeter-cum-realtor P. Yadagiri, who brokered the deal, was not paid the promised amount by MLA Gali Somasekhara Reddy. An FIR issued by the Anti-Corruption Bureau based on the complaint lodged by CBI superintendent of police R.M. Khan, reveals that CBI special court judge T. Pattabhi Rama Rao’s son T. Ravi called up his dad from the bank and said, “We have been cheated. There is no money in the bank.”

The CBI by then had seized Rs 1.6 crore cash from the lockers. In its complaint, the CBI said that Yadagiri was acting as conduit for the transfer of money from G. Somsekhar Reddy. It said that during questioning at the CBI office on May 27, he revealed that he came in contact with Somasekhar Reddy in the office of Gali’s counsel. He mediated and arranged a meeting between Somasekhar Reddy and Chalapathi Rao, the FIR stated. According to the FIR, Yadagiri said Chalapathi Rao was paid huge amounts by Somasekhar Reddy on May 11 for influencing the judge for the mining baron’s bail. The money was paid the day bail was granted, at Hotel Daspalla in five to six bags.”

Yadagari received Rs 9.5 lakh from Chalapathi Rao. “When I asked for the balance amount, he told me that he didn’t get the promised amount from Somasekhar Reddy. He instructed me to contact Somasekhar, which I did and was told by him that only after seeing the bail order would the balance amount be paid,” Yadagiri stated. The CBI claimed that Yadagiri learnt from Chalapathi Rao that some money had been paid to influence another judge, named Sharma.

It was alleged that Chalapathi Rao tried to bluff his way out of trouble, claiming that he had got money by selling real estate. He could not produce any documents to support the claim. The CBI alleged that Chalapathi Rao gave the bank locker keys to the judge’s son Ravi. The CBI alleged that the Rs 48 lakh and Rs 65 lakh seized from the house and lockers of T. Balaji Rao, brother of T.V. Chalapathi Rao, was suspected to be from Somasekhar Reddy and another accused, Dashrath Ram Reddy. A total of Rs 2.74 crore was seized from banks and Balaji Rao. The CBI also found Chalapathi Rao had made a deposit of Rs 10 lakh.