Cash-for-bail case: ACB arrests judge Pattabhirama Rao

Pattabhirama Rao, who was earlier picked up from his residence here this morning and questioned by a team of ACB officials at their office, is the third person to be arrested in the cash-for-bail case, in which the agency has already arrested retired Judge P V Chalapathi Rao and Pattabhirama Rao's son T Ravi Chandra on Saturday last.

Confirming the arrest of the suspended judge, ACB Director General B Prasada Rao told PTI, "He (Pattabhirama Rao) has been arrested and is being produced before a court for judicial remand."

The ACB had registered a case on June 9 against Pattabhirama Rao and seven others under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act in the cash-for-bail scandal.

The case was first cracked by CBI after Pattabhirama Rao, who was additional special judge for CBI court, granted bail to Janardhan Reddy while rejecting the bail plea of suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi in connection with OMC scam.

Amid allegations of illegal gratification and corruption against Pattabhirama Rao, the Andhra Pradesh High Court suspended him on May 31 while transferring the case to ACB which registered a case against him and seven others, including Chalapathi Rao and Janardhan Reddy's elder brother and Bellary city MLA Gali Somashekhar Reddy. MORE