Ex-Judges, G Somasekhara Reddy Get Bail In Cash-For-Bail Sca

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to suspended judges T Pattibhirama Rao and K Lakshminarasimha Rao and Karnataka MLA G Somasekhara Reddy in the cash-for-bail case involving former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.

The High Court granted bail to the main accused when Janardhana Reddy was produced before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court here.

Justice Samudrala Govindarajulu did not agree with the ACB's contention that Pattabhirama Rao might tamper with the evidence if released on bail, and pronounced the verdict.

While granting bail to them, the court asked the accused to surrender their passports and to not leave their places without informing the ACB.

The court also rejected the ACB's petition challenging bail granted by the ACB court to Pattabhirama Rao's son Ravichandra and a junior lawyer Aditya.

Pattabhirama Rao was arrested by the ACB on June 19 for allegedly taking a bribe to grant bail to Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case.

The ACB had also arrested City Small Causes Court judge K Lakshminarasimha Rao, District And Sessions Court judge D Prabhakar Rao, and a realtor for trying to bribe Pattabhirama Rao on behalf of Janardhana Reddy's family.

It may be recalled that the CBI Court special judge Pattabhirama Rao, who rejected the offer which came through the two judges, later allegedly received Rs. 10 crore from Somasekhara Reddy and other relatives of Janardhana Reddy for granting bail in May this year.

Retired judge T V Chalapathi Rao and a rowdy-sheeter Yadgiri Rao were also arrested for allegedly receiving the bribe money on behalf of Pattabhirama Rao.

Those arrested in the case include another Karnataka MLA T H Suresh Babu, a follower of Janardhana Reddy.

Janardhana Reddy, who was lodged in a Bangalore jail in another illegal mining case, was brought to Hyderabad on Monday night on a prisoner transit warrant, and produced in the trial court. (INN)