The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday arrested another judge in connection with the cash-for-bail case involving former Karnataka [ Images ] minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, an accused in the illegal mining case.
K Lakshminarasimha Rao, chief judge of small causes court, was arrested by ACB officials. Rao also worked as the registrar of high court.
Rao is the sixth person and second judge to be arrested in the case by the ACB, after an alleged deal for Rs 10 crore was exposed by the Central Investigation Bureau in June.
ACB Director General B Prasada Rao said the arrested judge will be produced in the court on Thursday.
The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday placed Lakshminarasimha Rao under suspension after ACB sleuths conducted searches at his house. His name had cropped up during the interrogation of one of the arrested accused in the case. He is the third judge to be suspended by the HC in connection with the scandal.
Earlier, Judge T Patattabhirama Rao, who had granted bail to Gali Janardhan Reddy, was also arrested. He was the first additional secial judge for CBI cases.
The HC had also suspended Prabhakar Rao, a family court-cum-3rd additional district and sessions judge of Srikakulam, last week.
"We are still examining the role of Prabhakar Rao," said Prasada Rao.
The ACB, which registered a case against Pattabhi and seven others under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act on June 9, had already arrested Pattabhi, his son Ravichandra, retired judge T V Chalapathi Rao, Yadagiri Rao and Ravi Suryaprakash Babu, a realtor.
© Copyright 2012 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
