The Congress trained its guns on the BJP, which has been trying to gain leverage out of Team Anna’s attacks on government.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the CBI should probe the “commercial links” the Reddy brothers had with BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and also M Venkaiah Naidu: “We have been saying from the beginning. Sushma Swaraj has business relations with them (Reddys). Venkaiah Naidu has business relations with them…”
Corporate affairs minister Veerappa Moily said the arrest was a lesson to those in high offices not to misuse their position. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said this was an unfolding probe by the CBI.
In response to Digvijay remarks Swaraj said “I welcome this statement of Digvijaya Singh and I want that this probe should definitely be done so that the truth comes out as only when the truth comes out will I get justice.”
“Government can hold any probe against me through any agency. Or as the Prime Minister had himself made the offer in the House that Leader of Opposition can investigate the matter, I now say the Prime Minister can himself hold any investigations against me… If the PM appoints Digvijaya Singh as his representative for such a probe, I will be most happy as then Digvijaya Singh can satisfy his curiosity by conducting his own investigations.”
Meanwhile a CBI Special Court in Hyderabad sent former Karnataka Minister and Owner of Obulapuram Mining Company, OMC, Gali Janardhan Reddy and its Managing Director, Srinivasa Reddy to judicial custody till the 19th of this month.
The CBI asked the Judge to transfer both the accused to their custody for further interrogation. The Judge adjourned the case for Wednesday.
Earlier, the CBI officials brought the accused persons from Bangalore to Hyderabad. CBI Joint Director Lakshmi Narayana said that there is enough evidence to prove that the accused indulged in illegal mining and violation of forest protection act.
Janardhana Reddy, one of the three powerful Reddy brothers of Bellary and former Karnataka Minister has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early morning today.
The managing director of Bellary Mining Corporation and Mr Janardhana Reddy’s brother-in-law, has also been arrested.
Official sources said the two were arrested this morning in Bellary. A CBI team searched Janardhan Reddy’s house in Bellary in the wee hours and seized some documents from his residence. Sleuths also raided the premises of Srinivas Reddy in Bellary and Bangalore.
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