HC Orders Probe Into Naidu's Assets

A division bench of the State High Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Securities And Exchange Board Of India (SEBI) to probe the alleged illegal assets of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao, directed the agencies to conduct a primary investigation into the alleged illegal assets and submit a report within 3 months in a sealed cover.

The court issued these directions after hearing a writ petition filed on 17 October by Pulivendula MLA Y S Vijayamma, widow of former chief minister YSR and mother of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, against the TDP chief.

In her petition, Vijayamma had alleged that Naidu had amassed wealth by misusing his political power using media baron Ramoji Rao as a conduit.

She said that that Naidu, with the help of Ramoji Rao, had defrauded the state exchequer, and appealed to the court to probe their actions. She alleged that many acts of criminal misconduct were committed during Naidu's tenure as Chief Minister from 1995 to 2004.

The court directed the authorities to take into consideration the 2,424-page material supplied by the petitioner and to probe the issue.

The court also ordered probing agencies to conduct investigations against 13 others, including Nara Bhuvaneshwari (wife of Chandrababu Naidu), Nara Lokesh (son of Naidu), Eenadu Group chairman Ramoji Rao, Ahobala rao, Rajya Sabha Member Y S Choudhary, Movie Artistes Association president Maganti Murali Mohan, Karnati Venkateswara Rao and C M Ramesh. (INN)