The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered a case against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu and 12 others including his wife, son and two of his party MPs for a preliminary inquiry into the allegations of amassing wealth illegally.
Notices are likely to be served on the respondents from Monday as the investigating agency was told to file its report in sealed cover within three months.
Preliminary enquiry
The case was registered following a direction from the Andhra Pradesh High Court on November 14 to take up a preliminary inquiry into the charges levelled against Mr. Naidu and others by Pulivendula MLA Y.S. Vijayamma, wife of late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The Enforcement Directorate has already taken up initial probe against Mr. Naidu and some of the respondents under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on November 22.
After getting a copy of the bulky 2,000-odd pages petition filed by Ms. Vijayamma from the High Court on Friday, the CBI officials led by its Joint Director here, V.V. Lakshminarayana, were said to have gone through the charges levelled against the respondents in detail.
The JD camped in his office for more than eight hours from 12.45 p.m. on Saturday to complete the formalities of registering the case.
Official sources stated that the CBI would first serve notices on all the respondents seeking information about their financial transactions during the period 1994-2004, when Mr. Naidu was the Chief Minister of the State, and about their assets. After examining the information furnished by the respondents or their representatives, the CBI would again serve notices, if required, to summon them personally for additional information or clarifications.
Offences committed
In her petition, Ms. Vijayamma submitted:
“The offences committed by the respondents include those under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, FEMA, the Representation of the People Act, the AP Land Grabbing Act and the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.”
