In a stunning claim, an Andhra Pradesh lowercourt judge arrested in the cash-for-bail scam, has said that a whopping Rs 100crore was offered by relatives of former Karnataka minister and mining baronGali Janardhana Reddy to secure bail for him.
In a confessional statement to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), K LakshmiNarasimha Rao, Chief Judge of Small Causes Court, said Dasaradharami Reddy, arelative of Gali Janardhana Reddy, had made the offer, the agency said.
The judge, now suspended, is in judicial custody after being in ACB custody forsome days.
According to a remand application filed by the ACB, Narasimha Rao hadvoluntarily spoken about the bribe for getting the bail for the powerfulpolitician.
"He (Dasaradharami Reddy) had asked to search for a channel to influencethe CBI judge for Reddy's release on bail and for which Dasaradharami Reddy wasready to pay even Rs 100 crore," it said.
ACB arrested Narasimha Rao on July 12. According to ACB, Pattabhirama Rao, theCBI Court Judge, granted bail to the former Karnataka minister, arrested inillegal mining case last month after taking a bribe.
Reddy's bail was later cancelled by the High Court.
ACB has arrested Pattabhirama Rao, and also family court judge Prabhakar Rao.
"On hearing the said figure of amount, he (Lakshmi Narasimha Rao) wasshocked and allured. He planned to convince Naga Maruti Sharma, the CBI Judgewho was dealing with Gali Janardhana Reddy's case at the time," as perACB.
He called Sharma on April 18 to his residence and tried to persuade him. ButNaga Sharma declined, the ACB application said.