Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MACHILIPATNAM, JANUARY 25: The Andhra Pradesh police are keeping a close watch on the activities of Dr Venkateswara Reddy, brother of non-resident Indian Lakireddy Bali Reddy, charged in a US federal court with importing girls from India for prostitution and inducing people to illegally migrate there.
Police sources here said, efforts were also on to impound the passport of Bali Reddy’s brother.
It had come to light that more than 5,000 people from the NRI’s native village Velvedam near Mylavaram and its surroundings in Krishna district had applied for passports during 1999. Most of them had left for the USA to work under under Bali Reddy who went there in 1959 and now owned two restaurants, many apartments and property worth more than 50 million US dollars in Berkeley.
About 5,000 people had migrated to the US between 1975 and 1998 when he opened South Indian restaurants and Madras cuisine at Berkeley and Santa Clara.
After the death of Veme Reddy Sita (17), with whom the NRI shared an apartment inBerkely, due to carbon monoxide poisoning in November, he was arrested on January 14 last.
Following these developments, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had ordered a CB-CID probe into the activities of the NRI here.
Bali Reddy has established a charitable trust "Kalapeetham" and an engineering college at Mylavaram and used to visit his native village twice a year.
