HYDERABAD: House No. 1242 at Jubilee Hills with its high gated walls sits comfy within one of the toniest localities of the city. Located right opposite the residence of TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, it has basked in moments of glory, only to see itself fall from grace into the lap of infamy.
After all, its fortunes only trail the story of its resident, disgraced ex-Satyam chief B Ramalinga Raju.
On Saturday, as the November sun shone down on the locality, the house, which till 19 months back was a scene of frantic business meetings and guests trooping in, wore a deserted look with visitors numbering next to zero and passers-by looking through its gates for a rare glimpse of the ex-IT tycoon. The watchman on duty too seemed to be as wary of the public eye as his master. He promptly went inside the moment he spotted curious eyes.
Nearby tea-stall owners too didn’t sound eager to talk about the return of Raju from jail, three days back. They described media activity and renewed interest among the neighbours on the day of his release, but were relieved that things had quietened down since then. Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma, said to be a relative of Raju, had called upon him reportedly on the day of his release from jail as did some of his corporate friends and loyal erstwhile colleagues.
Now, though, the porch to Raju’s house had only one car parked in it, giving the impression that not many visitors had come to meet him through the day. Sources said Raju had been spending time with family members and aides and was keen to stay away from the media glare. His aides are said to be briefing his lawyers. His daily routine includes a visit to the special court in the Nampally Criminal Court Complex which is hearing the `7,000-crore Satyam accounting fraud case.
Raju, who is suffering from Hepatitis C, is also learnt to have undergone a medical check up soon after his release from the Chanchalguda prison. He had once been admitted to the NIMS hospital during his stay in jail due to Hepatitis C.
Sources said he has been taking rest without venturing outside and recovering. The calm surroundings at his residence, in fact, reflect a new-found maturity among the neighbours to have moved on from the scam that rocked the cyber city like none before.