Andhra Pradesh major industries minister J Geeta Reddy along with two of her former Cabinet colleagues have been named as accused in the two fresh charge sheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the ongoing quid pro quo investments case involving jailed Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Besides, the CBI has named half-a-dozen IAS officers, including those who have been accused earlier by the investigating agency.
Hyderabad-based Indu Projects chairman and managing director I Shyam Prasad Reddy is accused number 3 after Jagan and his close associate Vijai Sai Reddy in both the charge sheets involving two of his companies — Lepakshi Knowledge Hub and Indu Tech Zone Private Limited.
The fresh charges relate to the allotment of around 9,000 acre land in Anantapur district bordering Karnataka to the Lepakshi Knowledge Hub and 250 acre for an IT SEZ near Hyderabad international airport to Indu Tech Zone Private Limited by the state government when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister.
Lepakshi Knowledge Hub was also accused of taking bank loans by mortgaging the lands and then diverting the same for other purposes in violation of the MoU.
The CBI alleges that the investments made by Shyam Prasad Reddy in Jagan's firms were in exchange of the favours he got from the state government.
Two former ministers — Dharmana Prasada Rao and Sabita Reddy — figured in the fresh charge sheets had to quit the Cabinet when they were earlier named as accused in the same case.
The CBI has questioned the memorandum of agreement entered with Lepakshi in December 2008 by the industries ministry headed by Geeta Reddy. Under the MoA, her department had committed to allot 10,000 acres of land among a host of other incentives to the firm for the development of a proposed industrial park in a very short time without taking proper care in protecting public interest.
Among the charge sheeted IAS officials senior bureaucrat B Syam Bob was then holding the office of principal secretary — industries department, and K Ratna Prabha, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer who worked in the state government on deputation, was principal secretary — IT and Communications at the time of land allotments.
Muralidhar Reddy, who was then executive director in APIIC, retired IAS officer Prabhakar Reddy along with Parthasarathi, a retired senior official of APIIC, also figured in the fresh charge sheets.
Meanwhile, the CBI again named BP Acharya, then chairman and managing director of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), and M Samuel, special chief secretary, department of environment and forest, as accused. They have already been named as accused in the earlier instances.
While submitting the charge sheets before the special CBI court, CBI SP V Chandrasekhar informed the judge that the investigative agency was still awaiting government's permission to prosecute the serving IAS officers named in the new charge sheets.
Besides, the CBI has named half-a-dozen IAS officers, including those who have been accused earlier by the investigating agency.
Hyderabad-based Indu Projects chairman and managing director I Shyam Prasad Reddy is accused number 3 after Jagan and his close associate Vijai Sai Reddy in both the charge sheets involving two of his companies — Lepakshi Knowledge Hub and Indu Tech Zone Private Limited.
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The CBI, which has so far filed close to a dozen charge sheets in the Jagan case has not said anything to indicate that the investigation was complete.
The fresh charges relate to the allotment of around 9,000 acre land in Anantapur district bordering Karnataka to the Lepakshi Knowledge Hub and 250 acre for an IT SEZ near Hyderabad international airport to Indu Tech Zone Private Limited by the state government when YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister.
Lepakshi Knowledge Hub was also accused of taking bank loans by mortgaging the lands and then diverting the same for other purposes in violation of the MoU.
The CBI alleges that the investments made by Shyam Prasad Reddy in Jagan's firms were in exchange of the favours he got from the state government.
Two former ministers — Dharmana Prasada Rao and Sabita Reddy — figured in the fresh charge sheets had to quit the Cabinet when they were earlier named as accused in the same case.
The CBI has questioned the memorandum of agreement entered with Lepakshi in December 2008 by the industries ministry headed by Geeta Reddy. Under the MoA, her department had committed to allot 10,000 acres of land among a host of other incentives to the firm for the development of a proposed industrial park in a very short time without taking proper care in protecting public interest.
Among the charge sheeted IAS officials senior bureaucrat B Syam Bob was then holding the office of principal secretary — industries department, and K Ratna Prabha, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer who worked in the state government on deputation, was principal secretary — IT and Communications at the time of land allotments.
Muralidhar Reddy, who was then executive director in APIIC, retired IAS officer Prabhakar Reddy along with Parthasarathi, a retired senior official of APIIC, also figured in the fresh charge sheets.
Meanwhile, the CBI again named BP Acharya, then chairman and managing director of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), and M Samuel, special chief secretary, department of environment and forest, as accused. They have already been named as accused in the earlier instances.
While submitting the charge sheets before the special CBI court, CBI SP V Chandrasekhar informed the judge that the investigative agency was still awaiting government's permission to prosecute the serving IAS officers named in the new charge sheets.