CBI foils Reddy’s plans to fly abroad

Former tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy knew CBI officials would arrest him by month-end and had plans to fly abroad early on Monday to evade arrest, sources say.

He told Sriramulu to resign last week only to divert the attention of media and public so that he can leave the country unnoticed either to Indonesia, where he has iron ore business, or Australia where he does business in coal.

Sources said that on Sunday night, Reddy had a secret meeting with Y Jaganmohan Reddy, son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy, at the latter’s Bangalore home.

But his plans failed as CBI officials arrested him early on Monday, took him to Andhra Pradesh and produced him before a court.

The Reddy’s fall became imminent after the new chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda did not induct the mining baron in his cabinet.

This upset the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu so much that they were not much seen in public.

But they did not give up and kept pressuring the BJP high command and state leaders to accommodate them. When all such efforts failed, Janardhana finally plotted to blackmail the government in power by using Sriramulu who resigned following his orders, sources said.

Reddy had returned to the city only recently after a 15-day trip abroad. Observers think this is the end of the road for Reddy and his Bellary team.