Andhra Home Minister named in fresh chargesheet

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Puneet Dalmia,vice-president of Dalmia Cements,have been named as accused in a fresh chargesheet

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Puneet Dalmia,vice-president of Dalmia Cements,have been named as accused in a fresh chargesheet filed on Monday by the CBI probing alleged disproportionate assets of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The 62-page chargesheet is primarily against Dalmia Cements which invested more than Rs 95 crore in Bharathi Cements owned by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The investment by Dalmia is allegedly in lieu for favours granted by the then Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government. Sabitha Reddy is the third minister to be charged by the CBI in this case. Former excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Reddy has already been arrested while the CBI has named Ramp;B Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao in the case.

Delhi-based Dalmia Cements Bharat Ltd purchased 16,66,600 shares at a premium of 110 each,1,37,931 shares at Rs 1,440,and another 68,965 shares at Rs 1,440. In 2007-08,Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd was granted limestone mining rights in Kadapa district. In March 2010 it also commenced commercial production at its 2.5 million tonne capacity greenfield cement plant at Chinnakomerla village in Kadapa where land was allotted. The company invested Rs 800 crore in the project spread over 1,500 acre.

Dalmia Cements was a beneficiary of the alleged quid pro quo arrangement with the former Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government wherein it received land. And in lieu of that it invested in Bharathi Cements. The CBI states that although Dalmia Cements itself was a gigantic company it invested in an upcoming Bharathi Cements which was yet to commence production. Sabitha Reddy was the minister for Mines in the first Cabinet of YSR and the mining leases were given during her tenure and she has been accused by the CBI of favouring Dalmia Cements in granting leases.

IAS officer Y Srilakshmi,who was secretary of Mines,and V D Rajagopal,MD of AP Mineral Development Corporation,have also been named in the new chargesheet.

While Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is accused number one in this fresh chargesheet against Dalmia Cements,financial consultant of the YSR family Vijay Sai Reddy,Raghuram Cements,Easwar Cements have also been named.

Y S Bharati,wife of Jagan Mohan Reddy,said on Monday,The CBI had assured the SC and the CBI court that it would complete investigation and file one final chargesheet. The SC also directed the CBI to file a chargesheet after completing investigation. The CBI was asked to file a chargesheet after investigating the three cement companies Dalmia,India cements and Penna Cements. Instead it has just filed against Dalmia Cements. By filing chargesheets every now and then,the CBI and the Congress are making their malafide intentions clear. They want to delay and drag the investigation as long as possible to deny bail to Jagan. We will file an appeal in the SC regarding this.