HYDERABAD, June 8 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief and managing director of India Cements N. Srinivasan in connection with the corruption cases of YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
Srinivasan has been asked to appear before the investigating agency here next week to explain the investments his company made in Jagan's firms, CBI sources said. However, the date has been kept under wraps.
India Cements is one of the cement companies facing a CBI probe for making investments into Jagan's businesses in return for the benefits they received from the then government of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Jagan's father.
India Cements allegedly pumped in money in Bharati Cements and Jagati Publications owned by Jagan and in return got benefits from the government in the form of water allocation for its units in Andhra Pradesh.
The CBI believes the then government issued two orders allocating additional water from the Krishna and Kagna rivers to two plans of India Cements. The orders reportedly helped the company to double its production in the state.
The CBI has also issued notices to the managing directors of Penna Cements and Dalmia Cements to appear before it next week. These cement firms were allegedly allocated limestone mines for the investments they made in Jagan's companies.
The summons to Srinivasan and others were issued after CBI grilled Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah for over eight hours on Thursday with regard to the orders issued by him as the then irrigation minister allocating water to India Cements and other companies.
The CBI is also likely to again question another cabinet minister, Dharmana Prasada Rao, in connection with other benefits given to the cement companies. It has already questioned him once with regard to the orders issued by him allotting land for the Vanpic project. Rao was then the revenue minister and currently holds the roads and buildings portfolio.
The central agency has also questioned Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, who as the then minister for mines, had allocated limestone mines to some cement companies.
