Cash-for-bail: Janardhan Reddy`s bail plea rejected

Anti Corruption Bureau court has extended former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy`s judicial custody by 14 days.

Hyderabad: A local court on Friday dismissed the bail application of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy in the `cash-for-bail` case where he allegedly tried to bribe a judge to secure bail.

Anti Corruption Bureau court here, which dismissed Reddy`s bail petition, also extended his judicial custody by 14 days. Janardhan Reddy, presently in Chanchalguda jail in connection with the bail scam as well as the Obulapuram Mining Company case, had been brought on a transit warrant from Bangalore on September 25 here. Andhra Pradesh ACB has registered two cases: One for attempt to bribe (now suspended) CBI judge T Pattabhirama Rao for grant of bail to Reddy in OMC illegal mining case, and another for conspiring to bribe Rao with the same motive. According to ACB, "It was Janardhan Reddy (when he was at Chanchalguda jail) who allegedly told his brother and Bellary MLA Somashekhar Reddy to try and secure bail at any cost." Somashekhar allegedly struck a deal for Rs 20 crore with Yadagiri Rao, a criminal, in order to secure bail by bribing the judge. The actual sum that changed hands was Rs 9.5 crore, ACB says. On August 13, the ACB filed its first charge sheet against Pattabhirama Rao and seven others. The second charge sheet was filed against Reddy and others on September 06. ACB arrested 11 accused, including three serving judges, in the two cases; most of them including Pattabhirama Rao are now out on bail. PTI