The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested suspended CBI special judge T. Pattabhi Rama Rao on the allegation that he resorted to criminal misconduct, abused his official position and accepted illegal gratification for granting bail to mining baron and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.
The ACB alleged in its remand report that investigations disclosed that Gali Somasekhar Reddy (the brother of Janardhan Reddy) and three others had paid `1.6 crore to Rama Rao through retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao for granting bail on May 11 to the mining baron, who is an accused in the Obulapuram Mining Corporation case.
Interestingly, Rama Rao, who had previously worked as ACB special court judge prior to his appointment as CBI judge, was produced in the same ACB court at Purani Haveli, Hyderabad, on Tuesday evening and remanded to judicial custody for 10 days. This is the third arrest in the cash-for-bail case; Rama Rao’s son T. Ravi Chandra and retired judge Chalapathi Rao are currently lodged in Charlapally jail.
ACB sleuths knocked at the door of Rama Rao’s house at the Judges’ Quarters in Banjara Hills on Tuesday around 5 am and picked him up. He was brought to the ACB office at Moazam Jahi Market where he was grilled till the afternoon and then to the court. Several civil court staff came to see the arrested judge.
Rama Rao filed a petition in the court seeking special category status in jail. He said he is suffering from serious ailments. A medical check-up was conducted at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences where it was found that his blood pressure was high. Rama Rao said he had undergone a heart operation earlier, and is a diabetic patient. He could walk with difficulty when he was produced in court.
At the jail he was lodged in the admission block as Remand Prisoner 5834. Jail officials said they will provide him separate accommodation as he faces a threat from prisoners who were convicted by his court.
Sources said that during questioning by ACB sleuths, Rama Rao refuted the allegations against him.
ACB director-general B. Prasada Rao said: “The case is booked against the judge and seven others for criminal conspiracy, abetment, public servant in judicial proceedings corruptly making a report and Prevention of Corruption Act.” He added that the ACB had registered the case on June 9 and conducted searches on June 16 on the residence of Rama Rao and arrested his son.