Names of two more judges have surfaced duringinvestigations in the cash-for-bail scandal involving former Karnataka ministerGali Janardhana Reddy.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Wednesday searched theresidences of a city civil court judge, whose identity has not been disclosedyet, and suspended district and sessions judge D. Prabhakar Rao in Hyderabad.
The ACB officials were questioning the two judges and maytake them into custody, sources said.
The ACB has already arrested suspended CBI judge T.Pattabhirama Rao, his son Ravichandra, retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao, rowdysheeter Yadagiri Rao. Ravi Suryaprakash Babu, a realtor, was arrested Tuesday.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court Friday suspended Prabhakar Raofollowing allegations that he too tried to mediate with Pattabhirama Rao forbail. The investigations have revealed that Prabhakar Rao with the help of acity civil court judge approached the CBI judge for bail to Janardhana Reddy inObulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal mining case.
The judges reportedly met the relatives of Janardhana Reddyat the residence of Suryaprakash Babu. They reportedly conveyed to the sittingjudge that Janardhana Reddy's brother Somsekhara Reddy is ready to pay Rs.10crore. However, they failed to clinch the deal.
Yadagiri Rao has confessed before the ACB that he succeededin striking the deal for Rs.20 crore through Chalapathi Rao. Of this, Rs.9.5crore was paid as advance. The ACB judge, the retired judge, Yadagiri andothers shared the amount.
The ACB had last month booked eight persons in the case,including Janardhana Reddy's brother Somasekhara Reddy and Suresh Babu, bothlegislators from Karnataka, and Janardhana Reddy's relative Dasarathrami Reddy.
Then chief justice of high court Madan B. Lokur May 31suspended Pattabhirama Rao, who had granted bail to Janardhana Reddy May 11. Theorders were struck down by the high court last month.
Janardhana Reddy is currently lodged in Bangalore jail as heis standing trial another mining case in Karnataka.