The CBI searched the residences of the middlemen in the Gali Janardhan Reddy cash-for-bail issue, retired district judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao and his brother T.V. Srinivasa Rao, at Chilakaluripet town on Saturday.
Mr Chalapathi Rao, meanwhile, has been hospitalised and is in the ICU at Care Hospital. The CBI has decided to add the Rs 3 crore, seized during the raids, to the crime proceeds money in the Obulapuram mining case.
Cash-for-bail: No FIR yet, Judge’s kin deny searches
With the Rs 3 crore that was seized during the recent raids, money seized in the Obulapuram Mining Company scam so far has touched Rs 15 crore. CBI officials had seized cash and 67 kg of gold ornaments in September 2011 when mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy was arrested. The CBI has said that the latest amount also belonged to Mr Janardhan Reddy and was brought to the city from Bellary.
No FIR, however, has been issued in the cash-for-bail case. “We have searched the houses of Mr Chalapathi Rao and his brother Mr Srinivasa Rao in Guntur. If the High Court issues orders to book an FIR we will do so,” said a CBI source. The state Anti-Corruption Bureau, too, has not received any complaints so far. CBI officials also visited the Guntur branch of the State Bank of India and verified the financial transactions of those facing allegations. They also checked with the sub-registrar whether any properties had been brought. On Saturday, the search went on for three hours and officials questioned Mr Srinivasa Rao and his relatives in the town.
Speaking to the media later, Mr Srinivasa Rao said that his brother had left Chilakaluripet town 20 years ago and since then they have been maintaining a casual relationship. Meanwhile, Mr Chalapathi Rao is on ventilation at Care Hospitals in Banjara Hills. He was admitted to Musheerabad Care Hospital on May 31 soon after the news of CBI court judge T. Pattabhi Rama Rao's suspension broke. Care Hospital authorities said on Saturday that his blood pressure and other vital signs were out of control and he was immediately shifted to Care Banjara. He is in the ICU on ventilator support.
Family members of Mr Pattabhi Rama Rao at the Judges’ Quarters denied all allegations and said no searches had been conducted at their house.