Telangana High Court Reserves Orders On Y. Srilakshmi’s Plea To Quash CBI Case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday reserved orders in a petition filed by former industries ministry secretary Y. Srilakshmi seeking quashing of the CBI case filed against her in alleged gratuitous deals involving investments in companies owned by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that it had collected crucial evidence to file a case against Srilakshmi and alleged that Srilakshmi misused her official position by transferring undue benefits to Penna Cements, owned by Pratap Reddy, a close associate of late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy. He pointed out allegations of irregularities in allotment of 231 acres of land at Yadiki in Anantapur district, a survey lease of 304.7 hectares at Kaulapalli in Kurnool district, renewal of leases of 82,213 acres at Tandur in Rangareddy district and concessions granted for the construction of Pioneer Hotels in Hyderabad.

In return for these favours, Pratap Reddy invested around Rs 68 million in companies linked to Jagan Mohan Reddy, the CBI reported. Opposing the discharge petition, CBI special counsel Srinivas Kapatia argued that Srilakshmi had earlier challenged the discharge orders of the CBI court but later withdrew her petition after the arguments were completed and the court reserved the orders. For this reason, he argued that the same issue could not be reopened with a second petition.

Senior advocate K. Vivek Reddy, representing Srilakshmi, submitted that the withdrawal of the earlier petition was on record before the judge concerned and submitted that the sanction for prosecution was given only under the Prevention of Corruption Act and not under the IPC provisions invoked in the case. He argued that valid enforcement was required under both laws and relied on Supreme Court precedent.

After hearing both sides, Justice Jukanti Anilkumar adjourned the matter to December 11 for pronouncement of orders.