Cash-for-bail: Andhra HC hands over case to state Anti-Corruption Bureau

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Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday asked the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to take over the probe against suspended special CBI court judge T. Pattabhirama Rao, accused of granting bail to mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy allegedly for a bribe.

CBI had claimed to have recovered nearly Rs1.80 crore here from a bank locker, the keys of which were allegedly in possession of Rao's son, after it received tip-off that a deal had been struck between Rao and Reddy, a former Karnataka Minister, for bail to the latter in the illegal mining case involving Reddy's firm OMC. Following this, HC last week suspended the judge.

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General B. Prasada Rao said late on Friday that CBI filed a report before the High Court, which today issued directions that the ACB should register a case and take up further probe.

"The CBI has handed over the files to us. It is under process...we may register a case tomorrow in this regard," the Director General said.

Pattabhirama Rao was placed under suspension on May 31. He had granted bail to Gali Janardhan Reddy in the OMC illegal mining case last month while rejecting the bail to IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi, another accused.

After receiving the tip-off about alleged bribe deal, CBI apprised the Chief Justice of High Court, and upon getting a green signal, it got the locker opened and recovered nearly Rs1.80 crore. CBI suspects it was a part of the bribe amount.