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No arrest based on statement, say police

HYDERABAD: Isn’t the confession of fudging the company accounts sufficient to warrant the arrest of B. Ramalinga Raju, who quit as Satyam Chairman on Wednesday?

Police say they cannot arrest Mr. Raju based on his statement. They have not received any complaint on the criminal intent of the fraud.

Neither had the regulatory bodies or investors filed any complaints, they point out.

The issuance of a first information report is the milestone that has to be crossed for beginning an investigation that could culminate in an arrest. There is a possibility of suo motu registration of a case. But to take to this recourse, there has to be a ‘rapid enquiry’ into the alleged criminality or violation of laws and such enquiry report by an officer will be the basis for registering a case. And in the Satyam case, there is no such rapid enquiry so far, say the police.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had ordered a ‘preliminary inquiry’ by the CID to see whether the government could initiate criminal action, but going by the response of police top brass, it could certainly take time.