Soon after securing bail for his younger brother and former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case from the special court for CBI cases in Hyderabad on May 11, Bellary City MLA Gali Somashekhar Reddy and his relative Dasaratha Rama Reddy handed over Rs 4.5 crore cash in 9 bags to rowdy-sheeter P. Yadagiri Rao the same night.
This was an advance payment of the Rs 20 crore bail deal struck between them, says the remand report submitted by the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) to the special court dealing with the case on Monday. Somashekhar Reddy was arrested by the ACB on Monday after four days of grilling with the ACB pleading that he be remanded to judicial custody for 15 days.
“At about 9.30 pm on May 11, Yadagiri Rao came to Dasapalla Hotel in Hyderabad where Dasaratha Rama Reddy handed over 9 bags containing Rs 4.5 crore which was arranged by T.H. Suresh Babu (MLA from Kampli who is now in custody) and Prakash, personal assistant of jailed mine baron Gali Janardhan Reddy”, stated T. Raghupathi Goud, deputy superintendent of police and chief investigating officer of the case, in the remand report.
Within 3-4 days, Rs 5 crore was paid to Yadagiri Rao with a total of Rs 9.5 crore paid to him as part of the total Rs 20 crore bail deal, said the report. Somashekhar Reddy told mediator Yadagiri that the remaining amount will be paid if the CBI petition opposing the sanction of bail by the CBI court to Janardhan Reddy, is dismissed by the High Court. “However, Somashekhar Reddy did not reveal anything about the details of who mobilized the Rs 9.5 crores for striking the bail deal”, stated the report. Somashekhar Reddy is the second legislator from Karnataka to be arrested by the ACB, which is probing the case following the arrest of Kampli MLA T.H. Suresh Babu last week.