The CBI special court here on Friday issued summons to seven persons, including Telangana Cabinet Minister for School Education P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, to appear before it on January 17 in the quid pro quo cases involving Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Penna Cements.
The CBI court principal special judge B.V. Madhusudan Rao passed an order to issue to summons to them, after taking cognizance of the supplementary charge-sheet filed by CBI authorities in Penna Cements case. Along with Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy, YSRCP MLA from AP Dharmana Prasada Rao, IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi, retired IAS officers Samuel and V.D. Rajagopal, Anantapur District Revenue Officer Sudarshan Reddy and Tahsildar M. Yellamma were shown as accused in the second charge-sheet.
While Mr. Prasada Rao was Revenue Minister, Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy was Minister for Mines and Geology in the Cabinet of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s father late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. The supplementary charge-sheet was filed in year 2016. However, the accused had challenged its validity. Arguments had been going on whether the special court can take cognizance of the supplementary charge-sheet.
‘Official favours’
On Friday, the CBI court special judge took cognizance of it and instructed that summons be served to the seven accused for appearance before it on January 17. The CBI had accused Mr. Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy of doing favours to Penna Cements owner P. Prathap Reddy like land allotment and leasing of limestone mines during his father’s tenure as united AP’s Chief Minister.
As part of the quid pro quo, Mr. Prathap Reddy invested ₹ 68 crore in some companies Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy had floated, the CBI said in the charge-sheet. The accused challenged the supplementary charge-sheet stating it had no fresh content or evidence compared to the first one filed earlier and hence not legally valid.
They contended that the CBI court had already taken cognizance of the first charge-sheet and commenced the trial. Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy is the first Telangana Cabinet Minister to get entangled in a criminal case trial. She was with the Congress party till 2019.Though she lost to TRS candidate in Maheshwaram in 2014, won from the same constituency in 2019 on Congress party ticket. However, in less than six months, she switched loyalty to ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Later, she has been inducted into Telangana Cabinet.
