A court here has postponed to Friday a request by CBI to examine in jail suspended IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi and ex-mines director V.D. Rajagopal for their role in the assets case against Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
The CBI today informed the court that it had, of late, found files which Ms. Srilakshmi and Mr. Rajagopal processed to allot mines to Penna and Dalmia cement companies.
These companies eventually invested in Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's businesses allegedly in a quid pro quo arrangement. The hearing, however, was postponed as the defence sought time to file a counter to the petition of the CBI.
In a brief argument preceding the postponement, the defence lawyer V. Surender Rao requested the court to dismiss the petition as Ms. Srilakshmi and Mr. Rajagopal were not in jail in Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's case. The CBI was welcome to question them with the permission of the court in the case against which they were arrested.
The public prosecutor of CBI, Balla Ravindranath, sought to know the locus standi of the defence on the petition as the prosecution had not decided whether to proceed against Ms. Srilakshmi and Mr. Rajagopal as accused or witnesses.
In any case, the defence was not expected to intervene either way. He also said there was no need for CBI to approach the court but it did as a matter of abundant caution, lest it be accused of not informing the court.
