Former judge D Prabhakar Rao, who was an accused in the infamous Gali Janardhan Reddy cash-for-bail scam, died on Monday under mysterious circumstances at his residence.
The police suspect his death to be a case of suicide, but could not confirm as he was staying alone at his East Marredpally house. An autopsy was being done on his body at Gandhi Hospital.
Rao was a family court judge in Srikakulam when he was arrested by the ACB for his role in striking a deal for granting bail to Janardhan Reddy. Another judge K Lakshminarasimha Rao, chief judge of the City Small Causes Court, was also arrested along with Prabhakar Rao. Both the judges were suspended in July 2012.
During the trial, Prabhakar Rao got bail and was contesting his case.
It was First Additional Special Judge for CBI cases T Pattabhirama Rao who had actually granted bail to mining baron Janardhan Reddy in the illegal mining case. The Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that a bribe of Rs 10 crores for paid for the granting of bail to Janardhan Reddy. Prabhakar Rao, who had earlier worked as Secretary (Legal) in the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission, had allegedly contacted Pattabhirama Rao for facilitating bail for the former Karnataka minister.
filed in:Courts, Corruption, Gali Brothers, Gali Janardhan Reddy, Mining Scam, Judges