Date:23/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/23/stories/2003122303580400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Bribery case hearing adjourned

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM DEC. 22. The Special Court for CBI cases on Monday posted hearing on the bribery case involving the Sikkim cadre IPS officer, A. Sudhakar Rao, and others to February 20.

While the Assistant Government Pleader, Lakshmi Rambabu (A-3), is at large, Sudhakar Rao (A-1), the former Mahila Court Additional Public Prosecutor, K.L.D. Nagasri (A-2), and her maid servant, U. Devi (A-4), have been granted bail recently after remanding them to police and judicial custody for a few days.

All the accused persons in the case (except A-3), also appeared before the Judge, Y. Dhilleswara Rao. According to the CBI, Nagasri was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs. 5 lakhs of a total Rs. 10 lakhs for payment to the A-1 to bail out the Senior Divisional Manager of the United India Insurance Company, M.F. Shoury. Mr. Shoury, against whom a case was booked by the CBI for an alleged fraud in settling an insurance claim, is the principal complainant in the case.

While the CBI charged Nagasri and Rambabu as conduits for Sudhakar Rao, who served as CBI DIG till December 3, the latter flatly denied the allegation and claimed that he was being framed in a "false and fabricated'' case as part of a conspiracy.