Hyderabad, Jul 11 (IANS): Names of two more judges have surfaced during investigations in the cash-for-bail scandal involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Wednesday searched the residences of a city civil court judge, whose identity has not been disclosed yet, and suspended district and sessions judge D. Prabhakar Rao in Hyderabad.
The ACB officials were questioning the two judges and may take them into custody, sources said.
The ACB has already arrested suspended CBI judge T. Pattabhirama Rao, his son Ravichandra, retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao, rowdy sheeter Yadagiri Rao. Ravi Suryaprakash Babu, a realtor, was arrested Tuesday.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court Friday suspended Prabhakar Rao following allegations that he too tried to mediate with Pattabhirama Rao for bail. The investigations have revealed that Prabhakar Rao with the help of a city civil court judge approached the CBI judge for bail to Janardhana Reddy in Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case.
The judges reportedly met the relatives of Janardhana Reddy at the residence of Suryaprakash Babu. They reportedly conveyed to the sitting judge that Janardhana Reddy's brother Somsekhara Reddy is ready to pay Rs.10 crore. However, they failed to clinch the deal.
Yadagiri Rao has confessed before the ACB that he succeeded in striking the deal for Rs.20 crore through Chalapathi Rao. Of this, Rs.9.5 crore was paid as advance. The ACB judge, the retired judge, Yadagiri and others shared the amount.
The ACB had last month booked eight persons in the case, including Janardhana Reddy's brother Somasekhara Reddy and Suresh Babu, both legislators from Karnataka, and Janardhana Reddy's relative Dasarathrami Reddy.
Then chief justice of high court Madan B. Lokur May 31 suspended Pattabhirama Rao, who had granted bail to Janardhana Reddy May 11. The orders were struck down by the high court last month.
Janardhana Reddy is currently lodged in Bangalore jail as he is standing trial another mining case in Karnataka.