Andhra minister Mopidevi Venkataramna arrested, sent to judicial custody in Jagan graft case

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Buses went up in flames and mobs ransacked government offices as sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation took away Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramna to judicial custody for 14 days in a case involving alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The minister was reportedly speechless for a few minutes when officials told him he was being arrested.

Venkataramna was arrested soon after he appeared before agency officials for questioning for a second consecutive day. A CBI official said the minister was arrested around 1.30 p.m.

Venkataramna, the first minister in the state's history to be arrested on charges of corruption while in office, was then produced in a CBI court, which remanded him to judicial custody till June 7. The court also agreed to the CBI's petition for five-day custody of the accused.

The minister was later shifted to Dilkusha Guest House, the CBI camp office where the investigators would question him for five days.

Ministers in shock

Venkataramna's arrest has sent shockwaves among ministers, especially those alleged to have been involved in granting permissions to Jagan Mohan Reddy's firms. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is set to convene an informal meeting of Cabinet ministers at camp office on Thursday evening to take stock of the development.

Venkataramna was minister for infrastructure and investment in the Rajasekhara Reddy government when certain companies were allegedly shown undue favours in return for investments they made in businesses of Jagan, the chief minister's son.

The CBI has booked the minister for corruption, cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by public servant, and falsification of accounts.

Venkataramna, through his aide, sent his resignation to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. Claiming that he has done no wrong, he wrote that he got entangled in the case. He said as a true follower of the Congress party, he signed the government orders on the direction of then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

The fourth accused and first minister to be arrested in the case, Venkataramna was nabbed a day before Jaganmohan Reddy, known as Jagan, is to appear before CBI for questioning.

More arrests

Venkataramna reportedly violated norms and also did not take the opinion of the finance and law departments while issuing government orders allotting 15,000 acres of land in Guntur and Prakasam districts to Vanpic and granting it exemptions under Stamps and Registration Act.

The CBI last week arrested leading industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat K.V. Brahmananda Reddy.

Prasad, one of the two promoters of Vanpic, allegedly invested over Rs.800 crore in Jagan's companies in return for the land and other concessions he received under a quid pro quo arrangement.

Caste twist

Venkataramana’s arrest has also taken an ugly caste turn. Both Congress and Telugu Desam leaders slammed the arrest of a minister belonging to the Backward Class community.

Some ministers claimed the innocent were being made to pay for the benefits enjoyed by others. Secondary Education Minister Parthasaradhi said the arrest of a minister belonging to backward class is unfortunate.

State Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana said he came to know about the arrest through media. He said he would react after going into all aspects of the case.

Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu said those who committed mistakes would have to pay for it. "It is regrettable that so many people are going to jail for the selfishness of one person," he said without naming Jagan.

Senior TDP leader Y. Ramakrishnudu said a minister belonging to backward class was made a scapegoat. He also wondered why the CBI had not arrested other ministers.

YSR Congress Party said the arrest ahead of its leader Jagan's appearance before the CBI was a mere show to impress that the investigation agency is impartial.

Party spokesman Bajireddy Goverdhan said Jagan's apprehension were coming true but advised the party cadre to maintain peace.

"Why should a minister who is from the backward classes be arrested while others were not even been questioned," asked Vasireddy Padma, another leader of YSR Congress.

Unrest

Following the minister's arrest, his followers in his native Guntur district attacked a few buses and blockaded roads. Police arrested some protesters and imposed prohibitory orders in Repalle town.

The minister's followers have called for a shutdown in Repalle assembly constituency represented by him.