The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out marathon interrogation of former Revenue Minister of Karnataka G. Karunakar Reddy, brother of Gali Janardhan Reddy, in the case against Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).
The interrogation of Mr. Karunakar Reddy which commenced in the morning went on till night. He was questioned separately from his sibling and the other accused, B.V. Srinivas Reddy, who is the managing director of OMC. Though there were several persons who appeared for questioning before the agency, the officers were said to have confronted each of them separately.
Also present in the CBI office were former director of mines and geology B.D. Rajagopal and mining officials from Sandur village in Karnataka. The CBI on Thursday had interrogated G. Somasekhar Reddy, another brother of Mr. Janardhan Reddy, similarly till late in the night.
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Meanwhile, the special court for CBI cases here ordered the investigating agency on Friday to provide Mr. Janardhan Reddy and Mr. Srinivas Reddy minimum facilities at the place where they were held in custody. This is the fourth day of their interrogation in police custody.
Their lawyers had complained to court that they were being shifted to different police stations at night where the conditions were pathetic.
The locations were not suitable for stay by human beings, much less for snatching a sleep after daylong ordeal at the hands of CBI officers. The minimum decency of life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution was violated.
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In a memo filed in the court, the lawyers said the CBI carried out interrogation till late in the night taking advantage of the fact that the court did not fix any timing for the purpose when the custody was granted. The two were brought back to CBI office in the early hours from unidentified police stations and subjected to interrogation continuously by different officers.
‘Nothing audible'
The lawyers permitted by court to be present during interrogation were made to sit far away as a result of which nothing was audible to them. They could not even see the interrogation properly.