More trouble is brewing for all the accused currently lodged in chanchalguda in the high profile cases — pertaining to Jagan Mohan Reddy illegal assets case, Obulapuram Mining Company’s illegal mining case and APIIC-Emaar land scam — since the CBI special court has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate to record statements of the accused in the three cases.
The ED has filed a petition in CBI court seeking permission to record statements of the accused. The ED informed the court that they have the provision to question and record statement of those under judicial custody, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. All the accused are currently in judicial custody at Chanchalguda jail.
The accused had earlier objected to ED petition on the grounds that the jail was not a conducive place to record statements, which the ED said is an invalid argument. The court has directed ED to record statements of the accused in Chanchalguda in the presence of the counsels of the accused and has given a time of 15 days for the same. The court also sent notices to the accused whose statements will be recorded by ED.
After registering the Enforcement Case Information Report in the three cases, the ED wanted to record the statements of the accused and filed three separate petitions before the principal special judge for CBI cases. In the Obulapuram mining case, ED asked permission to record statements of suspended IAS officer Y. SriLakshmi, B.V. Srinivas Reddy and former mining director V.D. Rajagopal.
In the Jagan assets case, the ED will take statements of industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, IRAS officer K.V. Brahmananda Reddy and suspended IAS officer B.P. Acharya who is also accused in the Emaar scam.
In the Emaar scam, ACB will record statements of B.P. Acharya, industrialist Koneru Prasad, N. Sunil Reddy and G.V. Vijay Raghav, along with the four firms — Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai, Emaar Hills Township Private Limited, Emaar MGP Land Limited and Stylish Holmes Real Estates.