Janardhan Reddy arrested, copter and 'booty' seized
Samar Halarnkar, Hindustan Times
Bangalore, September 05, 2011
First Published: 07:50 IST(5/9/2011)
Last Updated: 12:27 IST(5/9/2011)
In a swift, secret, early morning raid, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested powerful former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy on various criminal charges related to the multi-billion dollar mining empire he runs with two brothers. CBI officials are driving Reddy to Hyderabad-more than 500 km northeast of Bangalore-in his own Toyota Innova, an Indian flag on the hood wrapped up. He is scheduled to be produced before a court in the Andhra Pradesh capital on Monday afternoon.
The raft of charges against Reddy, the son of a police constable, includes criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, corruption and illegal mining, under the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, Indian Forest Act and Mines and Minerals Regulation Act.
The CBI seized Reddy's private helicopter, "Rukmini", and at his Bangalore mansion took away a laptop, a diary and other documents. Other CBI officials questioned Reddy's wife, Lakshmi Aruna in the Reddy home fief of Bellary, 300 km north of Bangalore. Unaccounted cash and gold were also found by the CBI at Reddy's homes in Bangalore and Bellary.
"We got about Rs 2 crore in cash and more than 20 kg of gold," said a CBI source, on condition of anonymity.
Monday's arrest is not related to the report of the Karnataka anti-corruption ombudsman, the Lokayukta, submitted 41 days ago, accusing Reddy, his two brothers (also former BJP ministers), former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, and more than 700 officials and politicians of involvement in illegal mining across the district of Bellary.
The arrest is the latest blow to south India's only BJP government. The party cleaved into feuding factions after the BJP forced Yeddyurappa to resign following the Lokayukta report. All three Reddy brothers, who run a multi-billion-dollar mining empire, were dropped from the ministry of new chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda.
As angry Reddy supporters took to the streets in Bellary, the BJP accused the Congress of political vendetta, but there was confusion over the stand the party should take over the arrest of Reddy, who is close to senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
"The CBI stands for Chor Bachao Institution and Congress Bureau of Investigation," said former health minister B Sriramulu, a Reddy aide, a day after he announced his resignation as BJP MLA because he was dropped from the cabinet. "Sonia Gandhi is behind this."
"The CBI is working under the Congress' orders," said BJP state president KS Eshwarappa. "The BJP respects law and democracy; we are confident that Reddy will be proven innocent."
Samar Halarnkar, Hindustan Times
Bangalore, September 05, 2011
First Published: 07:50 IST(5/9/2011)
Last Updated: 12:27 IST(5/9/2011)
In a swift, secret, early morning raid, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested powerful former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy on various criminal charges related to the multi-billion dollar mining empire he runs with two brothers. CBI officials are driving Reddy to Hyderabad-more than 500 km northeast of Bangalore-in his own Toyota Innova, an Indian flag on the hood wrapped up. He is scheduled to be produced before a court in the Andhra Pradesh capital on Monday afternoon.
The raft of charges against Reddy, the son of a police constable, includes criminal conspiracy, cheating, theft, corruption and illegal mining, under the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, Indian Forest Act and Mines and Minerals Regulation Act.
The CBI seized Reddy's private helicopter, "Rukmini", and at his Bangalore mansion took away a laptop, a diary and other documents. Other CBI officials questioned Reddy's wife, Lakshmi Aruna in the Reddy home fief of Bellary, 300 km north of Bangalore. Unaccounted cash and gold were also found by the CBI at Reddy's homes in Bangalore and Bellary.
"We got about Rs 2 crore in cash and more than 20 kg of gold," said a CBI source, on condition of anonymity.
Monday's arrest is not related to the report of the Karnataka anti-corruption ombudsman, the Lokayukta, submitted 41 days ago, accusing Reddy, his two brothers (also former BJP ministers), former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, and more than 700 officials and politicians of involvement in illegal mining across the district of Bellary.
The arrest is the latest blow to south India's only BJP government. The party cleaved into feuding factions after the BJP forced Yeddyurappa to resign following the Lokayukta report. All three Reddy brothers, who run a multi-billion-dollar mining empire, were dropped from the ministry of new chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda.
As angry Reddy supporters took to the streets in Bellary, the BJP accused the Congress of political vendetta, but there was confusion over the stand the party should take over the arrest of Reddy, who is close to senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
"The CBI stands for Chor Bachao Institution and Congress Bureau of Investigation," said former health minister B Sriramulu, a Reddy aide, a day after he announced his resignation as BJP MLA because he was dropped from the cabinet. "Sonia Gandhi is behind this."
"The CBI is working under the Congress' orders," said BJP state president KS Eshwarappa. "The BJP respects law and democracy; we are confident that Reddy will be proven innocent."
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