ED to serve notices to accused in three cases

HYDERABAD: The CBI court on Wednesday directed the Enforcement Directorate to serve notices to nine accused, who were arrested in three cases, to record their statements as part of the ED’s probe into money laundering.The ED earlier filed a petition in the CBI court seeking permission to record the statements of the nine accused in judicial custody. The accused are: IAS officer B P Acharya, Koneru Prasad, N Sunil Reddy and G V Vijay Raghav (all accused in Emaar scam), suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, OMC managing director BV Sreenivas Reddy and former mines director V D Rajagopal (OMC case) and industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and IRAS officer KV Brahmananda Reddy (Jagan assets case). Further hearing on the matter will be held on May 25.CBI Opposes I-T Dept Plea for Seized MoneyThe CBI on Wednesday objected to the Income Tax department’s petition seeking the court’s permission to take possession of Rs 4.24 crore money belonging to Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law BV Sreenivasa Reddy.The CBI told the court that the amount was ill-gotten money and would remain with it till October 30, the last date for filing IT returns. Sreenivasa Reddy’s counsel, however, argued that it was yet to be decided whether the money was legal or illegal. The matter was posted for further hearing for May 29.Caveats of Jagan Media Firm’s DismissedThe CBI court dismissed the caveat petitions filed by Jagati Publications Private Limited, Indira Television Private Limited and Janani Infrastructure Limited with regard to the attachment of properties by the investigation agency in the Jagan Mohan Reddy’s assets case.