CBI Probe Stares At Home, Excise Ministers After Graft Charges By Textiles Mantri
M Sagar Kumar TNN
Hyderabad: In a move that has set alarm bells ringing in the Kiran Kumar cabinet, Justice L Narasimha Reddy of the A P High Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the high-level corruption that is allegedly taking place in the ministries of home and excise in the state and felt that it is essential that aCBI probe is conducted against home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and excise minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana.
The judge made this order after taking suo motu note of the allegations made by textiles minister P Shankar Rao in the media on Monday to the effect that Sabita Indra Reddy and Mopidevi were taking huge amount of money from officials and effecting suitable postings for them. “Shankar Rao has not only named the ministers, Sabita and Mopidevi, but also alleged that huge sums are changing hands in the matter of transfer of officers. According to him, Sabita Indra Reddy, home minister, her family members and some highly placed officers in the home department are involved in the corrupt activities. Similar is the case with the state excise minister. The chief minister should not support the ministers and officers who are looting the people”, the judge said in his order. “Since the allegations pertain to the affairs in the home department, it is felt that the matter be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),” Justice Narsimha Reddy said in his order.
The judge has directed the registry to place this petition before an appropriate bench that looks after home matters immediately as the matter is of utmost importance. Shankar Rao’s earlier letters to the AP High Court have resulted in the ongoing CBI probes into the assets of YSR Congress president Jaganmohan Reddy and against Emaar Properties with reference to the Emaar Hills Township deal with APIIC. With the petition sent to the judicial registrar for placing it before the appropriate bench and the two ministers made respondents, a CBI probe against these two is very much on the cards.
In his three-page order, the judge held: “This is a rare instance where one Cabinet minister made serious allegations against two of his cabinet colleagues and if the allegations or any part of them are true, serious action is warranted in accordance with the relevant provisions of law. In a democracy, it does not augur well that allegations made against ministers by their own colleague are not verified and investigated. The confidence of the people in the system would be eroded if the matter is left at that and therefore, the matter deserves to be treated as a taken up case by this court.” So saying, the judge made Sabita, Mopidevi and the CBI as respondents to the case. Since more departments are involved, the state, represented by its chief secretary, too was made a party to the case.
Shankar Rao, the complainant, too was a made a party for the limited purpose of enabling him to vouch for his allegations, to furnish additional material facts, paving the way for effective investigation and further steps. “Shankar Rao maintained that he is ready to prove the allegations and would behead himself if he fails to prove them. If they are not proved, the dignity and honour of the ministers and officers against whom allegations are made would be restored and the person who made such allegations would become liable to be proceeded against on criminal and civil grounds,” the judge said.
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