4 helicopters were deployed to ferry VIPs to Suresh Babu's marriage in 2009.
The marriage of Suresh Babu, MLA, who was arrested on Thursday, was one of the biggest events in Bellary in 2009 and was a projection of power of the Reddys and their associates.
The air-conditioned pandal covered eight acres; four helicopters ferried VIPs from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Goa; 20 vehicles were used to escort guests from parking lot to reception hall. B Sriramulu, uncle of Suresh, known for conducting mass marriages in the region, reportedly spent Rs20 crore on the wedding.
Suresh Babu, 31, who is now in CBI custody, is a BE (mechanical) graduate, and was bereaved in childhood. Babu’s father, TH Babu, also known as ‘Railway Babu’, was a coolie at railway goods shed and rose to become a goods contractor, and was listed by Bellary police as a rowdy. He was allegedly murdered by a powerful political family of Bellary, which is close to the Congress, after which his uncle, B Sriramulu, former minister and currently president of BSR Congress, brought him up. Suresh’s father was married to Sriramulu’s elder sister, although Suresh was born to TH Babu’s second wife.
After his brother-in-law’s murder, Sriramulu, who was a Congress councilor, quit the Congress and joined hands with his childhood friend G Janardan Reddy, who was then running a finance company and a Kannada daily.
Suresh had declared assets worth of Rs1.58 crore at the time of his first election to the assembly in 2008, and the asset worth rose to Rs 6.52 crore by 2013 elections.
His affidavit says he had no criminal cases in 2008, but had two by 2013.
Allegations against Lad are baseless: CM
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday stated that the allegations made by social activist SR Hiremath against infrastructure minister Santosh Lad were baseless and asserted that was no need of dropping Lad from the cabinet.
Speaking to reporters in Kudala Sangama, Siddaramaiah said he had taken the necessary details from Lad, and that there was “no relation between the documents released by Hiremath, and Lad”. However, Siddaramaiah said a high level committee has been formed to make another report on the Lokayukta report on illegal mining submitted by Justice Santosh Hegade. “Based on the report, the government will think about formation of a special court,” he said.
Calling Narendra Modi a “communal” person, Siddaramaiah said that prime minister will be elected by people, not by the BJP. “Modi’s effect won’t work in the nation, particularly in Karnataka,” he stated.
I-T department raid former BJP MLA’s house
Bagalkot: Income Tax department officials raided the house of former BJP MLA Veeranna Charantimath in Bagalkot on Thursday. Simultaneous raids were also carried out at the BJP office in the region, the office of Basaveshwar Vidya Vardhak Sangh (BVVS) and Sri Bilur Gurubasav Cooperative Society (SBGCS), which is chaired Charantimath. The house of BVVS administrative officer, Omkar, who is a close confidant of Charantimath too was raided by the I-T officials. The officials reportedly seized important documents during the raid. Sources in the I-T department said the raids were conducted following a complaint on misdeeds in SBGCS. The cooperative department has also started investigations.
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