Sebi team arrives to quiz Rajus in prison

A five-member Sebi team arrived at the Chanchalguda Central Prison here today to quiz Satyam Computer founder Ramalinga Raju and his brother and former Managing Director Rama Raju regarding the Rs 7,800 crore financial fraud in the IT firm.

The Supreme Court in its order yesterday directed the Superintendent of the Chanchalguda prison to allow Sebi's investigating officer Sunil Kumar to question the Raju brothers for three days from today in connection with the accounting fraud in Satyam Computer.

The Sebi team submitted a copy of the Supreme Court order in this regard. They (Sebi) are yet to start questioning the Rajus, a State Prisons Official told PTI.

He further said Sebi will be provided a place in the administrative block of the jail for interrogating the Raju brothers.

"We are going through the copy (of the order) and a decision will be taken on whether the Sebi interrogation will take place in the presence of a jail official -- either a Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent or a jailor," he added.

The Rajus have been sent to judicial custody at the Chanchalguda prison here till February 7 by a local court.

Sebi had sought permission of a local court to quiz Ramalinga Raju and Rama Raju on 'buying, selling and dealing' in Satyam shares. But its appeal was rejected by the court on the grounds of "maintainability and jurisdiction", while the AP High Court had deferred its plea.