The CBI is meticulously reconstructing events leading to the bribing of suspended judge T. Pattabhirama Rao for grant of bail to former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy even as a decision on whether the case should be handled by the agency or transferred to the State government was pending with the High Court.
On Sunday, a team of CBI is said to have gathered TV footage of visitors to Janardhan Reddy in Bangalore central jail around the period that he got bail. The investigators were also supposed to reach Bellary on Monday to carry out searches in the houses of Janardhan Reddy's brother and local MLA, Somasekhara Reddy, and Kampli MLA Suresh Babu. Both were inaccessible as they switched off their phones.
Incidentally, Mr. Somasekhara Reddy was present in the court hall throughout on May 11 when the judge pronounced the verdict.
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Sources said the CBI had already taken up a detailed investigation on how money changed hands in the entire episode. The role of a rowdy sheeter of Nacharam, here, Yadagiri Rao, as a mediator in the deal has also come under the scanner but nothing incriminating was found in the search of his house.
The CBI is stated to be assessing the controversial judgements of Rao in the past and his conduct ahead of granting bail to Janardhan Reddy. In fact, the bail application itself was suspect as it was moved when another petition on behalf of Mr. Reddy was pending in the High Court.
The bail in CBI court was heard on affidavit that the request in the High Court was being withdrawn.
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After the grant of bail, Mr. Pattabhirama Rao rejected the request of CBI to keep his order in abeyance by a few days to enable an appeal in the High Court.