CCB issues Notice to Janardhana Reddy
Bengaluru, Nov 9: A day after conducting searches at his Ballari residence, the Central Crime Branch here Friday issued notice asking mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, who is absconding, to appear before it on November 11.
Reddy is wanted in connection with money transaction amounting to crores of rupees allegedly linked to a ponzi scheme.
The central crime branch (CCB) is also hunting for Reddy's close aide Ali Khan, who allegedly struck a Rs 20-crore deal with Syed Ahmed Fareed of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd, a firm accused of involvement in the ponzi scheme, to bail him out of an Enforcement Directorate investigation.
Reddy's lawyer C H Hanumantharaya, who earlier moved a city civil court Friday seeking anticipatory bail plea, told reporters that Reddy would take a call Saturday whether to appear before the CCB or not.
"The bail plea we had filed was withdrawn after the court asked the prosecution to file their objection by Monday.
The court also agreed to hear the victims of the case (ponzi scheme). Since the matter is coming up on Monday, we will decide whether Reddy should appear before the CCB or not," Hanumantharaya said.
Meanwhile, Reddy filed two petitions in the Karnataka High Court.
The first petition pertained to quashing the First Information Report against him stating that it was based on "baseless allegations."
The second plea sought removal of two police officials from investigating the case.
Reddys lawyer R P Chandrashekhar accused the officers of physically torturing the accused in the case to sign on confessional statements implicating Reddy and Ali Khan.
He also alleged that there were political interests behind targeting Reddy.
Reddy has alleged that the investigation was unfair as the accused have been tortured in police custody, Chandrashekhar said.
Searches continued at Reddy's residence in Ballari Thursday which started around 6 am and went on till evening, two days after Reddy's confidante Sriramulu's sister J Shantha, a BJP candidate, lost in the bypoll from Ballari Lok Sabha constituency, considered a stronghold of the Reddy brothers.
The Congress won the seat breaking the BJP's hold over Ballari since 2004.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Sunil Kumar has said Reddy was absconding and police were looking for him to question him in connection with the case.
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IAF to hold 2-day wargame along frontier with Pakistan: NOTAM issued
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.
The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.
India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise, the sources said.
In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.
The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.
Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing "cross-border linkages" to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved in it.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the terror attack.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met Prime Minister Modi on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF's operational readiness.
On Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
