Gali aide Sreeramulu quizzed by ACB for 6 hours

Karnataka MLA B Sreeramulu was grilled for more than six hours on Tuesday by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials for his alleged involvement in the Gali Janardhan Reddy’s cash-forbail scam.

Sreeramulu’s name cropped up during the questioning of legislator T H Suresh Babu of Karnataka and a realtor Raavi Suryaprakash Rao, both arrested in the scam.

The ACB, which recorded the Bellary Rural MLA’s statement, reportedly tried to know whether it was Sreeramulu who had extended monetary support for the cash-for-bail deal.

Sreeramulu was accompanied by two MPs from Karnataka, J Shantha (Bellary) and S Fakeerappa (Raichur). Sreeramulu’s role came up in the scam after the arrest of his nephew and Kampli MLA T H Suresh Babu. Sreeramulu is a close aide of Janardhan Reddy and floated the BSR Congress after the arrest of the mining baron.

 The ACB, in its chargesheet submitted before the court, said realtor Suryaprakash Rao was asked by Sreeramulu to call Suresh Babu to discuss about influencing judges known to the realtor to secure bail for Janardhan Reddy.

The ACB sleuths reportedly tried to know the links between Sreeramulu and Suryaprakash Rao and also his role in the scam.

 The agency also wanted to know the source of Rs 9.

50 crore paid to various people involved in the scam after Janardhan Reddy was given bail by then special court for CBI cases judge T Pattabhirama Rao.

 Emerging out of the ACB office, Sreeramulu told newsmen that he had appeared before the investigation agency respecting the summons issued by it to him.

 “I have replied to all their questions,’’ he said. He would appear before the investigating agency again, if necessary, he added.

ACB officials, however, were non-committal on the arrest of Sreeramulu at this stage.

Meanwhile, Kolli Lakshmaiah Chowdary, whose statement was earlier recorded by the ACB, accompanied Sreeramulu.

 Lakshmaiah Chowdary gave a clean chit to Sreeramulu saying that the MLA had no role in the scam. “Sreeramulu was on a padayatra in his constituency when the scam took place,” he said.