CBI probe into AP ministers' wealth, assets

High Court takes suo motu action

The court on Tuesday directed the CBI to inquire into the allegations of the minister, levelled against Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao.

Accepting the serious charges of corruption by the minister for textiles against his ministerial colleagues, Justice Narasimha Reddy of the AP High Court directed the central agency to look into the allegations.

The speed at which the court has reacted to the allegations that were made in a press conference on Monday surprised even the minister himself.

“I have gathered all the information against the ministers and sent them to the CBI. The home minister and her son almost opened counters for corruption in the posting of police officers.  My only concern is that corruption in a department like home, leads to corruption in police department which has a massive interface with the common man,” a visibly elated Shankar Rao said in Secretariat.

Rao pointed out that the home minister and excise minister formed a group and collected huge sums of money.

Training his guns on the chief minister this time, he said: “the chief minister is giving undue importance to this fully corrupt home minister.”

However, the home minister refuted the allegations. “I will react only after reading the HC order,” she told reporters after the high court issued directions to the CBI.
She said she will discuss the matter with AP Congress Committee chief Botsa Satyanarayan and also with the chief minister for action.