AP minister Lakshmaiah to appear before CBI on June 7

CBI has summoned Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah to appear before it on June 7 in connection with the alleged disproportionate assets case involving YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

The agency is likely to examine Ponnala over the Government Orders (GOs), issued during 2004-09 when he was the Major Irrigation minister in the cabinet of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, on supply of water from river Krishna to some cement companies, which in turn allegedly made investments in businesses of the Kadapa MP.

Ponnala is among the six Andhra Pradesh ministers who were issued notices by the Supreme Court in March, seeking their stand on the charge about their alleged role in the case against Jagan.

Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who is presently campaigning for the forthcoming by-polls in Parakal in Warangal district said he would appear before the CBI as per the directions.

"I worked as per law. I have been asked to come (by CBI) and I will," he said.
The CBI has so far arrested Jagan, his financial advisor V Vijay Sai Reddy (currently out on bail), Mopidevi, industralist Nimmagadda Prasad and senior bureaucrat K V Brahmananda Reddy in the DA case.

While Jagan is in CBI custody, other accused are under judicial remand and are being lodged at the Chanchalguda Central Prison here.

The CBI, in its three charge sheets filed against Jagan and others, said he and his father had hatched a conspiracy to defraud the government with Jagan influencing Rajasekhara Reddy in doling out certain favours to various investors, who made investments of several crores into Jagan's businesses (at very high premiums) as a quid-pro-quo arrangement.