P. Yadagiri Rao, a rowdy sheeter and a key mediator in the cash-for-bail scam involving mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, was arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at Aaram Ghar junction on the city outskirts on Monday and interrogated for several hours. A sum of Rs.3.75 crore was seized from his house at Nacharam.
He is the fourth out of eight accused persons to be arrested in the case so far. The others are suspended judge T. Pattabhirama Rao, his son Ravichandra and retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao. The agency is yet to lay its hands on Bellary MLA G. Somashekhar Reddy, his relative G. Dashrathram Reddy, Kampli MLA T.H. Suresh Babu and a junior advocate T. Aditya.
A press release of ACB Director General B. Prasada Rao said the rowdy sheeter confessed to receiving Rs.9.5 crore from Somashekhar Reddy and others as advance for ensuring bail to the former Karnataka Minister. Out of this, he paid Rs.3 crore to Chalapathi Rao on the night of May 11 when the bail was granted.
He purchased a plot and a house for Rs.60 lakh at Nacharam and a Maruti Swift car at Secunderabad for Rs.8.10 lakh.
As the interrogation of Chalapathi Rao and Ravichandra in police custody disclosed recently, Yadagiri Rao played a key role in securing bail for Janardhan Reddy in the Obulapuram Mining Company scam and a police officer earlier.
He introduced Somasekhar Reddy to Chalapathi Rao who was a friend of Pattabhirama Rao, judge of the CBI court that granted bail to the mining baron.
Chalapathi Rao deposited Rs.1.60 crore out of Rs.3 crore that he received from Yadagiri Rao in the bank lockers of the son of the suspended judge Ravichandra and retained the remaining amount with himself.
He had given Rs.10 lakh to Pattabhirama Rao for the bail to Sarveshwar Reddy in December last year.
