CBI turns heat on politicians in AP

The days of ‘Rohini Karthe' in Andhra Pradesh are associated with soaring mercury, the hottest part of summer.

According to the Telugu calendar, it lasts for 14 days starting around May 25 leaving people sweating and running for shelter from the heat.

In a strange coincidence or a planned move, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has turned the heat on politicos, in the ongoing disproportionate assets case relating to Mr Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, right in the middle of this scorching spell.

Having successfully quizzed the State Excise Minister, Mr Mopidevi Venkatramana, and got him into custody for five days, the CBI finally brought the accused number one in the charge sheet, Mr Jagan himself, to face the loaded questioning on Friday.

Ironically in the comfort of the Dilkusha Guest House (happy heart in Urdu), the CBI officers grilled Mr Jagan, MP from Kadapa and son of former Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on three consecutive days, which culminated in his arrest on Sunday everning. It was a 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. sessions. A number of State Cabinet ministers, including Ms Sabitha Indra Reddy, Ms Geeta Reddy, Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah (all in Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Government), are under the scanner in the ongoing probe by the investigation agency.

Corporate honchos

In the week preceding the grilling of the politicians, the spotlight was on some corporate honchos and bureaucrats.

The CBI successfully put Mr Nimmagadda Prasad, founder Chairman of Matrix Labs, and Mr Brahmananda Reddy, a Government official in Chenchalguda Jail, for their involvement in the VANPIC (Vodarevu, Nizampatnam Port and Industrial Corridor) project.

These two gentlemen, along with Mr Venkatramana are alleged to be closely linked in the YSR Government signing a deal with VANPIC, promoted by Mr N. Prasad. The later, brought in Ras Al Khaimah as a partner.

The Government okayed around 15,000 acres of land in the districts of Prakasam and Guntur for the port and SEZ project. The company, supposedly acquired the land by buying from people.

Mr Venkatramana, Mr Reddy and Matrix Prasad are alleged to have benefited financially. Mr Prasad, in turn is charged with investing huge sums into Mr Jagan's Jagathi publications and Indira TV (which bring out Sakshi newspaper and TV) as quid pro quo .

The CBI officers are supposedly confronting each of these players with questions on their involvement. A long list of corporate that include, Aurobindo Pharma, Trident Life Sciences, Hetero Drugs, Penna Cements, Ramky Infra are all part of the three charge sheets filed in the case so far.

Bureaucrats complaints

The questioning of Mr Jagan, Mr Venkatramana and earlier, Ms Sabitha Indra Reddy, the Home Minister, has in a way put paid to the consistent complaint held against the CBI by the State bureaucracy.

In the high profile cases that are dogging the State, the axe first fell on the bureaucrats.

The arrest of Ms Y. Srilakshmi, Principal Secretary, Mining, in the Obulapuram Mining Company, involving the grant of mining lease in Anantapur district to the BJP leader and Karnataka minister, Mr Gali Janardhana Reddy, was the first instance of an IAS officer being jailed in Andhra Pradesh. Mr Reddy also was arrested and jailed. It followed the arrest of Mr V.D. Rajagopal, Managing Director of the AP Mining Development Corporation.

In another major case associated with Emaar-MGF and the development of a luxury villa and township project, the Home Secretary, Mr B.P. Acharya, was arrested, sending jitters in the bureaucracy in the State. The Association of IAS Officers, in fact, had met the Chief Secretary, Mr Pankaj Dwivedi and also the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, to stop the selective targeting of bureaucrats.

There was an open talk of the CBI going soft on the political class, on whose behest they said most decisions were taken.

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