Katta to be tried in land scam case

Lokayukta police gets High Court nod to prosecute former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, police may also appeal for his custody

Katta to be tried in land scam case

Lokayukta police gets High Court nod to prosecute former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, police may also appeal for his custody

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In what came as slap to the BJP ruling party, governor H R Bharadwaj gave sanction to prosecute Katta Subramanya Naidu, the main accused in seven cases of land scam. The Lokayukta police had sought sanction after the High Court vacated the stay on the FIR filed against the former minister and his councilor-son Katta Jagadish Naidu in the case, to which Bharadwai gave his node yesterday.

Always ready: Katta Subramanya Naidu told MiD DAY that he'll abide
by the law and isu00a0 ready to face any consequence. File pic

Pranab Mohanthi, deputy inspector general of police in Lokayukta, said, "We are ready with the charge sheet and it will be filed soon. We will follow the procedure and the law will take it own course," he added.

Although he chose to play his cards close to his chest, a source in the Lokayukta said the police were not ruling out the possibility of asking Subramanya Naidu's custody as they were still investigating the case. The police are reportedly waiting for the sanction to prosecute Jagadish Naidu, while the urban secretary, who is the sanctioning authority, is expected to give his consent in a day or two.

u00a0While speculations are rife over sending the Kattas to jail, there are two possibilities: the court might go for trial straight away or issue a warrant in which case the father-son duo will seek bail, and if their bail application is rejected they will have to go to jail.

Meanwhile Katta Subramanya Naidu, said, "Governor is the constitutional head and he has given the sanction. I abide by the law and I am ready to face the consequences."

In a bid to play down the issue, K S Eswarappa, state president of BJP, said the development had not dented the party image. "The charges are yet to be proved in the court of law. Let the trail start, and I am confident that Subramanya Naidu and his son will come out clean."

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