Accused judge K. Lakshmnarasimha Rao, arrested in the Gali Janardhan Reddy cash-for-bail case, has sent a petition to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the High Court, the AP Human Rights Commission and others stating that he had been abused and manhandled by ACB officials at the time of his arrest. He also said that law minister Erasu Pratap Reddy was not being probed by the ACB in the case despite evidence against him. The SHRC, however, on Monday rejected his plea stating that the matter did not come under its purview. Minister Pratap Reddy strongly denied the allegations.
Judge alleges manhandling by ACB
The status of judge K. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao’s other petitions in the cash-for-bail case are not known. He is lodged as an under-trial prisoner in the jail after being arrested for allegedly trying to influence a CBI judge for granting bail to mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy. In the petition Mr Rao said he had not made any confessions and that it was a false statement.
“On July 11, ACB officials lead by joint director Sampath Kumar and DSP Krishnudu came to my house at 5.30 am and abused me and my family members. They frightened all of us and took away all documents and articles from my house without preparing an inventory of the articles seized and didn’t give any acknowledgement. At 6 pm a list of inventory was prepared and my signature was obtained on it,” alleged Mr Rao. “ACB cops manhandled and pushed me from the chair and pulled my shirt collar,” he added. He also alleged that a criminal conspiracy had been hatched to implicate him.