Notices to Karnataka MLAs in cash-for-bail scam

Sleuths of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday served notices on two Karnataka legislators accused of bribing a CBI special court judge for securing bail for tainted mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy.

The ACB has asked the legislators to be present here within three days. A few days ago, the ACB had issued look-out notices for Gali Somasekhar Reddy (Bellary Urban) and T H Suresh Babu (Kampli) in an effort to prevent them from fleeing the country. However, sources point out that the two MLAs could not be traced by the ACB team that left for Bellary to serve the notices.

Assistant Commissioners of Police of the ACB, Raghupathi Gowda, Srinivas and inspector Sudhakar arrived in Bellary on Tuesday and visited the residences of Reddy and Babu at Havambhavi and Devinagar in the city, respectively. Both of them were not present in their houses.

“We strongly believe that the legislators have left for Hyderabad and we do not have there whereabouts,” a senior ACB officer said.

Developments on Tuesday clearly indicate that there are no procedural issues to hamper the arrest of the MLAs once they attend the ACB office here in Kothi for a prolonged grilling. The ACB officer said they have enough evidence like source of the
bribe amount to nail the legislators during the quizzing session.

“However, enough precaution will be taken while questioning the law makers that too from another state, only in case of arrest of an MLA do we have to notify the Speaker of the Assembly concerned,” an official said.

The ACB has so far registered two cases in the cash-for-bail scam. However, Gali brothers for whom the judges were bribed are yet to be named accused in the second case.