CBI probes extortion angle in Jagan case

HYDERABAD: There was a time when individuals close to 'anna' were among the most influential in the State. Some of them boasted of their 'contacts' while a few others collected money, claiming they could 'settle' anything, even stall arrests.

Now, though, times have changed. The heat the CBI probe into YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's assets has generated appears to have humbled the once powerful men. Some of the individuals, listed as accused in Jagan's case, are understood to have turned approvers giving the CBI a shot in the arm.

Sources disclosed that these individuals decided to turn approvers after they got a 'taste' of the CBI investigation. 'They were summoned, made to sit for hours in a corner and grilled. They were given a feel of what could happen to them (jailed) if they did not cooperate,' sources said.

Simultaneously, the investigators stumbled upon an 'unexpected' information which suggested that an MD of a company, said to be the second largest investor in Jagan's companies, had collected several crores from a few bigshots promising to get their work done. He claimed himself to be very close to Jagan 'anna' (that is how he refers to Jagan), which sources say, he indeed is.

The sources cited one such case wherein he collected Rs 10 crore from the director of a Hyderabad-based finance company who was on the run after he defaulted on his payments and absconded. 'He assured him that using the MP's clout, he would ensure that he is not arrested. Believing him, the director paid him Rs 10 crore,' sources said.

However, the MD, who is said to have 13 per cent stake in the country's biggest share registrar company based in Hyderabad, failed to keep his 'word' and the man was arrested subsequently.

But since he was considered close to the MP, the director chose to remain silent. Sources say that the sleuths are also gathering information about other such 'deals' done by the MDs of other companies by taking advantage of their proximity to the MP.

Meanwhile, CBI Joint Director VV Lakshminarayana is understood to have briefed CBI Director AP Singh and other senior CBI officials about the developments pertaining to Jagan and Emaar cases. Lakshminarayana left for Delhi on Sunday and returned today after briefing his bosses about the progress in the cases.

It is learnt that he took the green signal from them for serving notices to the accused in both cases and questioning them. It is likely that the second round of questioning of key officers in Jagan's camp will be conducted within the next one week.

In a related development, representatives from Trimax owned by Koneru Prasad, are said to have appeared before the CBI. They were questioned for some time during which they gave their verion before the agency.