New Delhi: The CBI is set to question the Excise Minister of Andhra Pradesh M Venkataramana over the YSR Congress Chief Jaganmohan Reddy alleged unaccounted wealth.
This will be the second time the former Ports and Infrastructure minister will be deposing before the CBI in the Jagan disproportionate assets case.
The CBI on Friday questioned Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy in YSR Congress Party leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy's alleged illegal assets case. A team of CBI officials questioned the minister at her residence here for about three hours, CBI sources said. The minister was questioned about the permissions and licenses given to certain cement companies, which allegedly made investments into Jagan's companies under quid pro quo arrangement.
Sabita Indra Reddy was the minister for mines in YS Rajasekhara Reddy's cabinet from 2004 to 2009. She reportedly told the CBI that the licenses were given to cement companies as per the decision taken by the cabinet and that she did not violate any norms while issuing the orders. She is the third minister questioned by the CBI in the Jagan case.
In March and April, the investigating agency questioned excise minister Mopidevi Venkatramna and roads and buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, who were ministers for infrastructure and revenue in YSR's cabinet. The home minister was questioned a day after the CBI served a notice on Mopidevi, asking him to appear again on May 21 for questioning with regard to the allotments made for Vanpic port project of industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, who was arrested two days ago.
The CBI is questioning the ministers at a time when YSR Congress party is alleging that its leader Jagan is being targeted to damage the party prospects in the next month's by-election to one Lok Sabha and 18 assembly seats. A CBI court has served notice on Jagan asking him to appear before the court May 28 in connection with the first of the three chargesheets so far filed in the case.
Sabita, Mopidevi and Dharmana are among the six ministers who were issued notices by the Supreme Court March 12, asking them why their role should not be probed with regard to the 26 government orders issued during the tenure of YSR, who died in a helicopter crash in 2009. The orders allegedly benefited certain companies in the form of lands and licenses, and in return they invested in the firms owned by YSR's son Jagan.
The CBI had booked a case against Jagan and 72 others in August last year on the direction of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
With additional information from IANS
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