The CBI court principal special judge N Balayogi ordered CBI to register a FIR and inquire into a private complaint booked against TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, his former colleague Vijayashanti and TRS legislator K Harish Rao. The complaint charges them with corruption and extortion.
But, CBI is loathed to take up the probe because it avowed that a court headed by session’s judge has no power to direct the agency on this matter.
The CBI contends that the Supreme Court and high courts can order such probes. Officials of the investigating agency had conveyed their position to the CBI trial court earlier when similar probes were ordered by it against former minister Galla Aruna Kumari and others, according to sources.
The present petition was filed by Balaji Vadera, a resident of Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, who alleged that the three leaders resorted to extortion and corruption in the Emaar case. According to the allegations, Harish Rao collected Rs 80 lakh from film star Krishna for “remaining silent” on the Padmalaya Studios issue.
The land allotted at subsidized rates was not used for the purpose for which it was allotted, according to Harish Rao who had accused Krishna. The money was given to Harish Rao in the presence of Vijayashanti’s husband Srinivas Prasad, alleged Balaji.
The petitioner also accused KCR of extorting money form those who owned plots in Emaar Estate in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli area. The charge against Vijayashanti is not clear.
Legal circles were a little perplexed over the complaint and many avowed that the petition did not have much substance. All the three leaders named in the petition welcomed the probe. “The Congress is conspiring against us as they know that the TRS will win the elections with an overwhelming majority. We are drawing huge crowds during our campaign, which the Congress people could not stomach. They are trying to intimidate us, but we are not scared,” said KCR.
Harish Rao also charged the Congress with misusing the CBI. “They wanted us to merge the TRS with the Congress. As we did not oblige, they are unleashing the CBI on us. I welcome the probe,” he said. And Vijayashanti too welcomed the move and requested the CBI to complete the probe quickly.