Lookout notices against Karnataka MLAs

HYDERABAD: The arrest of Karnataka MLAs Gali Somasekhar Reddy and T H Suresh Babu seems imminent in the cash-for-bail case as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued lookout notices against the two legislators, preventing them from fleeing the country.
After advocate Aditya surrendered before the ACB court on Thursday, Bellary (Urban) MLA Gali Somasekhar Reddy, Kampli MLA T H Suresh Babu and their associate Dasarathrami Reddy are the only three accused yet to be arrested in the bail scam.
The ACB has so far registered two cases in the cash-for-bail scam. In the first case, suspended CBI judge T Pattabhirama Rao, his son Ravi Chandra, retired judge T V Chalapati Rao, history-sheeter Yadgiri Rao, advocate Aditya, two Karnataka MLAs and their associate Dasaratharami Reddy have been named accused for conspiring and securing bail fraudulently for Gali Janardhan Reddy.
The second case was booked against suspended judges Prabhakar Rao, Lakshminarasimha Rao, their associate Suryaprakash Rao, who also tried to strike a deal between Gali’s group and CBI judges but failed.
So far, Gali brothers are yet to be named accused in the second case, but sources revealed that given the amount of evidence against them, ultimately their names would be added to the accused list along with some others.
As four officials from the judicial fraternity have already been arrested in the case, the two Karnataka MLAs’ arrest is imminent in a few days. ACB sleuths said to prevent the legislators from leaving the country, they have taken necessary measures. “We have alerted all international airports in the country about the two Karnataka MLAs. It’s a normal practice,” a top ACB officer said.
There were speculations that the ACB was delaying the arrest of the Karnataka MLAs due to procedural difficulties as it involves arresting legislators and that too from another state. However, an ACB officer said they were just gathering crucial evidence like source of the bribe amount to nail the legislators.
“Like any other probing agency, ACB can arrest any accused from any part of the country. In case of arrest of an MLA, we just have to notify the Speaker of the Assembly concerned,” an official said.