CBI, which is probing thecorruption charges against YSR Congress Chief Y S JaganmohanReddy, today filed its fourth chargesheet in the case against14 people, naming Andhra Pradesh Roads and Buildings MinisterDharmana Prasada Rao and two senior IAS officers -- ManmohanSingh and M Samuel, besides the Kadapa MP.
The 177-page chargesheet citing around 280 documentsbesides statements of witnesses was filed in the Court ofPrincipal Special Judge for CBI cases here.
It pertains to VANPIC project, whose promoter(industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad), allegedly invested Rs 854crore in the companies belonging to Jagan towards a largessesfor which the then AP government, led by late Y S RajasekharaReddy, doled out many favours in the form of awarding theproject.
The chargesheet also names Jagan's financial advisor VVijay Sai Reddy, followed by Nimmagadda Prasad alias MatrixPrasad, former Minister Mopidevi Venkatramana Rao, seniorbureaucrat K V Brahmananda Reddy (presently under judicialcustody), Nimmagadda Prakash, Vanpic Projects Pvt Ltd, JagatiPublications Pvt Ltd, Raghuram Cement Corporation Pvt Ltd andBharati Cement Corporation Pvt Ltd, Carmel Asia Holdings PvtLtd and Silicon Builders Pvt Ltd for alleged offences ofcriminal conspiracy, cheating and other relevant sections ofIPC and other provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The central probe agency had earlier contended thatvarious "undue" concessions were extended to the proposeddevelopment of an integrated port and industrial corridorproject-Vadarevu and Nizampatnam port and Industrial Corridorproject (VANPIC, in which Prasad was a promoter) in Prakasamand Guntur districts.
Bramhananda and Prasad were arrested on May 15 by the CBIwhile former Excise Minister Mopidevi, who was arrested on May24, is accused of approving the cabinet memorandum containingproposals for awarding of VANPIC project by withholding manyimportant aspects related to it, such as total extent of landdecided for the project during 2008.
Bramhananda Reddy, who was a former Andhra Pradesh special secretary, is accused of issuing letters to Collectorsof Prakasam and Guntur districts to allot 24,000 acres of landto Vanpic Projects Pvt Ltd.
Manmohan Singh was Principal Secretary of Infrastructureand Investments (I&I) department when Mopidevi was theMinister holding the portfolio of I&I in YSR cabinet.
Dharamana Prasad Rao who was then Revenue Minister hasalready been quizzed by CBI in connection with the Jagan caseand is learnt to have been named for his alleged role inissuing some GOs for alienation of land in favour of VanpicProjects Private Limited.
While Jagan arrested on May 27 is under judicial remandin connection with the case, Vijay Sai who was earlierarrested by the CBI is presently out on bail.
The CBI, in its three chargesheets besides asupplementary chargesheet against Jagan and others has accusedhim and his late father and then Andhra Pradesh Chief MinisterY S Rajasekhara Reddy of hatching a conspiracy to defraud thegovernment with Jagan influencing his father in doling outcertain favours to various investors, who made investments ofseveral crores into Jagan's businesses (at very high premium)as a quid-pro-quo.