VIJAYAWADA: The ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) special court in Vijayawada on Tuesday permitted the Crime Investigation Department (APCID) to attach seven immovable properties of the accused in the alleged FiberNet scam and representatives of Tera Software Limited.
The assets, valued at Rs 114 crore, are owned by Tummala Gopichanda, MD of Terra Soft, his wife Pawana Devi and another accused in the case, K Koteswara Rao.
ACB court judge BSV Hima Bindu issued orders permitting the CID to attach the properties of Gopichand and two others. The State government on October 31 had issued ad-interim orders, allowing the probe agency to attach seven immovable properties of the accused in the alleged FiberNet scam, and representatives of Tera Software.
In the report submitted to the government, the APCID had mentioned that TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu was named as A-25 in the case as he had conspired with Vemuru Harikrishna Prasad, another accused, and Tummala Gopichand and awarded the project to Terra Sofware in a fraudulent manner, causing hefty loss to the State’s exchequer.
Further, Principal Secretary (Home) Harish Kumar Gupta directed CID chief N Sanjay to file a petition in the ACB court to make the orders absolute. After the plea was filed, judge Himabindu posted the hearing to November 17. On Friday, she sought the CID sleuths to submit to the court a few details.
She reportedly made it clear that properties purchased after the commencement of the crime could only be considered for attachment, while those bought before it would not come under the purview of the attachment orders.
However, the CID counsel argued that the court had absolute power to attach all the properties, irrespective of the date of registration or purchase when the company in question is involved in the crime.