CBI officer probing Jagan case transferred

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Joint Director V.V. Lakshmi Narayana, who was heading the probe into YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's disproportionate assets case, has been transferred.

Narayana, who investigated many high profile cases, including the Satyam scam and the illegal mining involving former Karnataka minister G. Janardhana Reddy, has returned to his Maharashtra cadre state as his term in the CBI ended.

The officer was also heading the investigations into the corruption charges against former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Though his five-year deputation in the CBI came to an end in 2011, he was given extension twice.

Narayana, a 1990 batch IPS officer, had joined the CBI in 2006 as deputy inspector general, Hyderabad zone. He probed the multi-crore scam in Satyam Computer Services Limited, said to be the biggest fraud in India's corporate history.

Hailing from Kunrool district of Andhra Pradesh, Lakshmi Narayana also headed the investigations in several other high-profile cases. A team led by him had raided Janardhana Reddy's residence in his home town Bellary in Karnataka in 2011 to arrest him in Ombulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case.

The IPS officer also busted the sensational bribery scandal in the OMC case. The investigations led to the arrest of a CBI special judge, who allegedly took a huge bribe to grant to bail to mining baron. The judge, his son and several others including two other serving judges and a retired judge were arrested in the case

He also headed the investigation team in APIIC-Emaar scam. He took up the investigations in Jagan case in 2011 on the direction of state high court and last year arrested Jagan and several others. The CBI has so far filed five charge sheets in the case.

The other cases handled by him include the death of then chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash, Volkswagen scam and the killing of Maoist leader Azad by the police in an alleged gun battle.

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking direction to the government not to send Lakshmi Narayana to Maharashtra till completion of probe in Jagan case. The petitioner said the officer's transfer at this crucial stage would hamper the probe. The petition is expected to come up for hearing on June 10.