Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy was quizzed by the CBI again yesterday in connection with the alleged disproportionate assets case of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, official sources said today.

A team of CBI officials went to the minister’s residence last evening and sought details from her regarding grant of leases to some cement companies and also collected information about certain Government Orders (GOs) issued by her when she was the Mines Minister during 2004-09 in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government, they said.

Ahead of the June 12 bye-election to the Ramachandrapuram constituency, a large amount of cash and illicit liquor has been seized there from various persons.

East Goadavari District Collector and Election Officer Neetu Prasad said 3,300 litres of illicit liquor was seized while it was being transported. Besides, Rs 1.20 crore cash was also recovered from various persons.

A monitoring committee has been appointed in the district to keep a vigil on suspicious persons and vehicles, she said, during a meeting with other senior district officials last night.

Hyderabad, A CBI court Wednesday sent leading Andhra Pradesh industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat K.V.
Brahmananda Reddy to judicial custody till May 30 in the case relating to alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The CBI, which arrested the duo Tuesday night, produced them before the CBI court. They were later shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail.

The agency also moved a petition seeking 14-day custody of the accused for further interrogation. The court posted the matter for hearing Thursday.

Mines and Geology Minister Galla Aruna Kumari on Wednesday informed that the State Government would promote manufacturing and usage of artificial sand in the State.

As part of a nationwide bandh call on Wednesday, Maoists cut-off trees and put it on a road leading to temple town Bhadrachalam in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The bandh call was given by banned outfit CPI (Maoists) against Operation Green Hunt and the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

A group of Maoists obstructed road after cutting trees near Devarpalli in Charla mandal of Bhadrachalam division in the wee hours today, a senior police officer of Khammam district said.

High flying Andhra Pradesh industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad has been arrested for alleged benefits received during the rule of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in return for the massive investments he made in his son’s businesses.

Prasad, popularly known as Matrix Prasad in the industrial circles after his pharmaceutical firm Matrix laboratories, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late Tuesday in connection with the alleged illegal assets case of YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar today said for the first time in the country, Standing Committees Assembly, were being constituted by the house constituted to monitor the implementation of welfare schemes. After,Inaugurating a private hospital here, the Speaker told newspersons the Standing Committees will comprise ruling as well as Opposition MLAs and would ensure flawless implementation of welfare schemes. The committees would also ensure that welfare schemes would reach the poor and eligible.

Lok Satta Party president Dr Jayaprakash Narayan has opined that in a democracy, people have a moral responsibility to stall corrupt practices, irregularities and atrocities of political leaders.

Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, Dr Narayan said that the political leaders, who were looting the public money and resorting to severe irregularities and crimes, were behaving in such a manner that the law and courts should intervene in their nefarious activities.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday directed officials of the Prohibition and Excise Department to step up vigil and check illicit liquor trade in the state.

The Chief Minister’s directive came after four persons died after consuming illicit liquor in Vijayawada this morning.

Reddy has expressed grief over the incident and directed Excise Commissioner Sameer Sharma and Krishna District Collector Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi to conduct an inquiry and submit a report, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a release here.

Telugu Desam Party MLA A Revanth Reddy on Friday dismissed reports that appeared in a section of media that he had links with Tara Chowdhary, who was arrested by city police in connection with a sex racket.

Talking to media persons at the Telugu Desam Legislature Party office, Revanth Reddy rubbished the media reports as ‘baseless’ and ‘far from truth’ and challenged them to come up with proper evidence to substantiate their charges. “It is not good for media to link my name with Tara Chowdhary and tarnish my political image,” he said.

Ibrahimpatnam police, on the direction of a local court, booked a criminal case against the son of minister for secondary education K Parthasarathi on Thursday on several charges.

Cases were registered against minister’s son Nitin Krishna and other three under sections 420, 441, 208, 209, 210, 447, 465, 506 and 474 of Indian Penal Code. They have been charged for grabbing the four-acre land of one Jasti Subbarao, who alleged that the minister had roughed him up.

The minister, however, denied the charges and said he had ‘purchased’ the land in a legal manner.

Siasat news

South Central Railway Divisional Manager Maqdoor Hussain today made an unscheduled visit to the Nizamabad Railway station to know the problems of passengers.

Passengers have requested the DM to change the departure time of the recently introduced ‘Demo Express’ train between Nizamabad and Kachiguda from the present 5.20 am to 7.30 am to suit the needs of the traveling public.
Speaking to the media, the Divisional Manager said that one more ticket issuing counter would be opened at the station to meet rush of passengers during peak hours. (NSS)

Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s supporter MLC S V Mohan Reddy, who denied indulging in anti-party activities on Tuesday, tendered his resignation to the Congress party and MLC post on Wednesday. He reportedly sent his resignation letter to PCC Chief Botcha Satyanarayana.

It may be mentioned here that Mohan Reddy has been a staunch supporter of YSRCP Chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and was moving closely with the latter. The CLP lodged a complaint against Mohan Reddy to Council Chairman Dr A Chakrapani a few months ago stating that Mohan Reddy was indulging in anti-Congress activities.

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s criticism on YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy’s entry into Tirumala temple might land him into a big trouble.

Refusing to be drawn into the debate over presidential candidature, Infosys mentor NR Narayana Murthy on Monday said the decision of choosing the best candidate should be left to leaders of political parities.

“There are leaders of various political parties who are very competent, who know the situation very well and they will take the best decision and select the best candidate.

The CBI Special Court at Nampally on Monday adjourned the hearing to May 11 on the bail petition of former Karnataka minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, in the Obulapuram Mining Corporation illegal mining case.

After hearing the arguments of both Gali and CBI’s counsels, the court posted the petition to May 11 for next hearing.

Congress senior MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao has lamented that it was because of his loyalty to the family of Indira Gandhi that he was being ignored.

Rayapati has on Sunday visited the temple of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Mangalagiri in the district and offered special prayers.

Speaking to the media later, he said because of the loyalty to the Nehru and Indira Gandhi families, his community was being ignored.

NTR-TDP (LP) president N Lakshmi Parvati on Sunday appealed to the people to vote in favour of YSR Congress party candidates in the ensuing by-elections.

Talking to reporters after performing pooja in Trikunteshwar Swamy Temple at Kotappa Konda, Lakshmi Parvathi said that only YSR Congress could bring development in the State. Stating that Jagan Mohan Reddy was like her elder son, she said that she would campaign for the YSR Congress candidates.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday assured that he would soon initiate a dialogue with the chief ministers Odisha and Chattisgarh on the Polavaram project.

Superintendant of Nellore Central Jail K Nageshwara Rao on Sunday denied reports that the inmates of the prison have went on hunger strike.

Nageshwara Rao told INN that a section of media has carried false reports that the inmates went on hunger strike after they had a clash with the jail wardens over throwing of food wastage.

Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary Dr K Laxman on Sunday predicted the fall of Kiran Kumar Reddy Government after the by-elections.

Talking to reporters here, Dr Laxman said that the State administration was in bad shape in the State and it would deteriorate further after the announcement of by-elections’ results. He said the misadministration and political uncertainty would lead to the collapse of Kiran Kumar Reddy Government after the by-polls.

Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday came down heavily on YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy for allegedly violating norms at places of worship.

The Warangal police on Saturday seized about 1400 kilograms of ganja from a vehicle near Tatikayala village in Dharmasagar mandal in Warangal district and arrested three persons in this connection.

According to police, the seizure was made during a routine checking of vehicles in the early hours of Saturday. Three persons who were carrying the consignment from Vijayawada to Hyderabad have been taken into custody. The worth of the seized ganja in international market is estimated around several crores of rupees.

Vijayawada Urban TDP president Vallabhaneni Vamsi has clarified that his meeting Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada recently was unintentional and not pre-planned.

In a written reply to party chief Chandrababu Naidu for the show-cause notice issued to him by the party which has taken serious exception to the meeting, Vamsi explained that he was an ardent follower of the late TDP leader Paritala Ravi and a disciplined worker of the TDP. Stating that he had not said anything against the party, Vamsi has stated that he would not talk ill of the party even in future.