First arrests in bailgate

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday made the first arrests in the cash-for-bail scam, taking into custody the suspended CBI court judge T. Pattabhi Rama Rao’s son T. Ravichandra and retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao. After simultaneously raiding Mr Pattabhi Rama Rao’s Banjara Hills house and Mr Chalapathi Rao’s residence in Guntur on Saturday morning, the ACB sleuths made the arrests in the afternoon. The duo was grilled at the ACB office in MJ Market.

The ACB said Mr Ravichandra had keys to the bank lockers in which Rs 1.6 crore of bri-be money was stashed. ACB director general B. Prasada Rao said the case was registered on June 8 based on a complaint by the CBI. The CBI had alleged that Karnataka MLAs G. Somashekara Reddy and T.H. Suresh Babu, an advocate named T. Aditya, Judge Pattabhi Rama Rao, his son and retired judge Chalapathi Rao were part of the conspiracy in the cash-for-bail case.

The CBI had earlier seized Rs 1.14 crore from Mr Chalapathi Rao’s brother T. Balaji Rao. The two accused will be produced before the ACB judge on Sunday morning, ACB officials said. Mr Prasada Rao said, “The houses of Pattabhi Rama Rao, Chalapathi Rao, retired judge T.S.T. Saibabu, advocate E. Uma Maheshwar Rao and P. Srinivas Rao were searched on Saturday. Incriminating material has been collected by the officials.”