D. Prabhakar Rao, an officer of the District and Sessions Judge cadre, was placed under suspension by the A. P. High Court on Friday after his name figured in the cash-for-bail scam involving former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, main accused in illegal mining case.
Dr. Prabhakar Rao, who was working as Secretary, Legal at the State Election Commission (SEC), was recalled on Thursday and posted as Judge, Family Court-cum-III Additional District and Sessions Judge, Srikakulam.
The SEC had written to the High Court surrendering his services following reports that he had tried to mediate with former CBI Court Judge T. Pattabhirama Rao to grant bail to Janardhan Reddy.
Retired judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao, now under arrest, had stated in his confession to the ACB that Dr. Prabhakar Rao tried to offer a bribe of Rs.10 crore to Pattabhirama Rao for granting bail to the mining baron. Dr. Prabhakar Rao urged the sitting judge to accompany him to the relatives of Janardhan Reddy to instil confidence in them that the grant of bail would be a certainty.
Pattabhirama Rao was not keen on the offer and sought the advice of the retired judge on how to avoid him. However, the latter asked him to deal with Dr. Prabhakar Rao on his own. He then came up with his mediation bid offering a bribe of Rs.5 crore for grant of bail without naming the person who offered the amount. Pattabhirama Rao was also told that he need not meet anyone, Chalapathi Rao said.
Less risky
Pattabhirama Rao accepted Chalapathi Rao’s offer because it was less risky, the former’s son Ravichandra said in yet another confession to ACB. Dr. Prabhakar Rao, a native of Huzurnagar in Nalgonda district, did stints in Guntur and Ongole but was transferred by the High Court.
He served as chairman of cooperative tribunal at Warangal and was on deputation to the SEC for the last one-and-a-half years.
