The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested Kampli MLA T H Suresh Babu, a close associate of jailed former minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, in connection with the Belekeri port iron ore scam.
Babu, an MLA from BSR Congress party, is also the nephew of B Sriramulu, a trusted lieutenant of the Reddy brothers from Bellary.
Sources in CBI said that Babu had not appeared before the agency despite summons more than once in the past. He was picked up in Sadashivnagar here, while visiting a friend.
Joint owner of Devi Enterprises along with Janardhana Reddy, he was allegedly involved in illegally exporting iron ore worth hundreds of crores of rupees from Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district.
Sources said that a medical examination has been completed and that he would be produced before a magistrate seeking custody on Friday.
Babu’s arrest will be followed by arrests of three more MLAs, said to be close to Reddy, sources in CBI said, but no official confirmation of the names was available.
Babu was arrested by the CBI in the infamous ‘cash-for-bail’ case in Hyderabad, where he allegedly tried to bribe the judge in a bid to secure bail for Janardhana Reddy, who is in jail in Hyderabad in connection with an illegal mining case registered in Andhra Pradesh.
Babu was arrested in the ‘cash-for-bail’ case in August 2012, and was later granted bail.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks