Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy Monday night offered to resign, hours after she was named as an accused in the disproportionate assets case against YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy by the CBI.
Sabitha offered to quit during a meeting Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy held with her and other cabinet colleagues.
State Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana quoted her as saying that she has done nothing wrong but would submit the resignation as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named her an accused.
"We advised her not to resign," he told reporters after the meeting. Sabitha is the third minister after Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and Dharmana Prasada Rao to face charges in different aspects of the disproportionate assets case.
Mopidevi was arrested on May 24 last year, while Dharmana continues to be in office after his resignation was rejected by the chief minister.
The CBI Monday filed fifth charge sheet, naming Sabitha as fourth out of 13 accused. She figured in the charge sheet after Jaganmohan Reddy, V. Vijay Sai Reddy and Puneet Dalmia, managing director of Dalmia Cements.
She is charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act for her role in allotment of limestone mines to Dalmia Cements in her capacity as the minister for mines and geology in the cabinet of then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, father of Jaganmohan Reddy.
Earlier report (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy was today named by CBI as one of the accused in its fifth chargesheet in connection with the disproportionate assets case against YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The agency filed its fifth chargesheet before a Special CBI Court here naming Jagan and naming 12 other individuals, and firms.
Sabitha is the third minister from the state to figure in five chargsheets filed by CBI in connection with properties allegedly amassed by Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The others made accused include Jagan's aide Vijay Sai Reddy, Vice-President Dalmia Cements Punit Dalmia, IAS officer Y Sri Lakshmi and the then Director Mines in Andhra Pradesh V D Raja Gopal among others.
The 62-page document pertains to alleged investments made by Dalmia Cements and two other cement firms--Eeswar cements and Raghuram Cements in businesses promoted by Jagan who is currently in jail.
CBI alleged that Dalmia Cements was allotted limestone mines in Andhra Pradesh during YS Rajasekhara Reddy rule at a throw-away prices.
Sabitha Indra Reddy had held the portfolio of mines minister during the YSR rule.
Sitting Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao and former Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, who is now in judicial custody, were also named as accused in cases against Jagan.
All the three had held Ministerial berts in the state cabinet headed by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (2004-09), the period during which his son Jagan is accused of amassing illegal wealth.
The chargesheet, which cites 53 documents and 43 witnesses, has been and filed under relevant sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Dalmia Cements and other cement firms were under CBI scanner for alleged benefits they got in the form of limestone mines in return for investments in Jagan-promoted companies.
The probe agency has charged these firms with making investment to the tune of several crores in Jagan-owned entities.
Srilakshmi is a former Secretary of Mines Department, while Rajagopal headed the AP Mining Development Corporation.
Both are also accused in the OMC illegal mining case involving former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.
The agency, in its four chargesheets filed earlier, has alleged Jagan and his father had hatched a conspiracy to defraud the government.
According to the chargesheets, the state government granted favours to certain firms which made investments (at a very high premium) in Jagan's businesses as a quid pro quo.
Jagan, arrested on May 27 last year, is currently in judicial remand and lodged at the Chanchalguda Central Prison here.
CBI had earlier told the Supreme Court that it would complete investigations in the Jagan case by March 31, 2013.
After failing to meet the deadline, the agency said it would expedite its probe.