Suspended judges get bail in cash-for-bail scam

The Andhra Pradesh high court Tuesday granted bail to suspended judges T. Pattibhirama Rao and K. Lakshminarasimha Rao as well as Karnataka legislator G. Somasekhara Reddy in the cash-for-bail bribery case involving former Karnataka minister G. Janardhana Reddy.

The high court granted bail to the main accused and suspended CBI court special judge Pattabhirama Rao and two others on a day when Janardhana Reddy was produced before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court here.

Justice Samudrala Govindarajulu, who had reserved orders last week, pronounced the same Tuesday. The judge did not agree with the ACB's contention that Pattabhirama Rao may tamper with the evidence if released on bail.

The court granted bail to another suspended judge, Lakshminarasimha Rao, and Janardhana Reddy's brother Somasekhara Reddy, a member of the Karnataka assembly from Bellary Urban.

The court also dismissed ACB's petition challenging bail granted by the ACB court to Pattabhirama Rao's son Ravichandra and a junior lawyer Aditya. The ACB had arrested Pattabhirama Rao on June 19 for allegedly taking a bribe for granting bail to Janardhana Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam case.

City small causes court judge K. Lakshminarasimha Rao, district and sessions judge D. Prabhakar Rao and a realtor were also arrested by the ACB for trying to bribe Pattabhirama Rao on behalf of Janardhana Reddy's family.

The CBI court special judge, who rejected the offer which came through the two judges, later allegedly received Rs.10 crore from Somasekhara Reddy and other relatives of Janardhana Reddy for granting bail in May this year.

Retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao and a rowdy sheeter Yadgiri Rao were also arrested for allegedly receiving the bribe money on behalf of Pattabhirama Rao. Janardhana Reddy, who was lodged in a Bangalore jail in another illegal mining case, was brought to Hyderabad Monday night on a prisoner transit warrant. The ACB produced him in the trial court Tuesday.

Those arrested in the case include another Karnataka legislator T.H. Suresh Babu, a follower of Janardhana Reddy.