Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, who was named an accused in the fifth charge-sheet filed by the CBI in the Special Court on Monday, was apparently relieved with CBI’s decision to issue summons and not to serve arrest warrants on all the accused .
The CBI had charged her along with 12 others for permitting transfer of limestone mining lease in 407.05 hectares from Eswar Cements to Dalmia Cements when she was the Minister for Mines.
Meets Kiran
Armed with her resignation letter, Ms. Sabitha Reddy met Chief Minister N. Kiran Reddy on Monday night and explained that she did not show any undue favour to Dalmia Cements and cleared the file as a routine case.
She said she would tender her resignation on moral grounds but the Chief Minister prevailed upon her not to take a hasty decision.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Sabitha Reddy said she had no idea what were the charges framed against her till she would get the charge-sheet.
‘I am hurt’
“The CBI had inquired about mining lease given to Penna Cement but never did it mention Dalmia Cements. I did not do anything wrong. It has hurt me that I have been charged under Section 420, 409 and other sections of IPC,” she said.
Sources close to the Home Minister said that she was pained at the turn of events and the ignominy of being included as the accused but was prepared to appear before the CBI whenever it summoned her for clarifications.
She would appear before the media once she received the copy of the charge-sheet.
Ready for legal battle
She also said that she would wage a legal battle for justice adding she had total faith in the judiciary.
“The Congress government continued the same rules and regulations that were in force under Telugu Desam government in sanctioning mining leases. There has never been any deviation,” she asserted.
Ms. Sabitha said she would abide by the advice of party high command and seniors on the issue of her resignation..
Meanwhile, a steady stream of Ministers and Congress leaders, including K. Jana Reddy, D. K. Aruna and Vatti Vasanth Kumar, besides legislators met the Home Minister at her residence and counselled her against resigning.
Ministers meet Kiran
Another group of Ministers, Kanna Laksminarayana, Pithani Satyanarayana, S.Sailajanath, Dharmana Prasada Rao and N. Raghuveera Reddy discussed the issue with the Chief Minister.
They felt that a thorough examination of the charge-sheet along with its implications legal and otherwise was required before reaching to any conclusion.
The Chief Minister reportedly said he would appraise the Congress high command about the development.
