With the Andhra Pradesh high court appointing a special judge for conducting trial in the multi-crore Satyam fraud case, the process of transfer of case records related to the scam from the designated CBI court to a special court here began today.
The AP high court had constituted a special court with senior civil judge BVLN Chakravarthy, as the special judge to try the Satyam fraud case.
The court, which was sanctioned by the state government, would function from the Nampally Criminal Courts complex here.
Officials said Chakravarthy, who has been transferred from Ongole to the special court, assumed charge on February 15.
Meanwhile, all the nine accused including former PriceWaterhouse auditor Talluri Srinivas, who was recently granted bail by the supreme court, appeared before the XIV additional chief metropolitan magistrate's court (designated CBI court) after expiry of his judicial custody today.
B Suryanarana Raju, who is out on anticipatory bail, also appeared before the court.
However, the prime accused and Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju, who is presently undergoing treatment for his hepatic ailment at a hospital here, did not appear before the court.
The magistrate while extending the judicial remand of all the accused to February 25 directed the Chanchalguda jail authorities to produce them before the special court.
The court, which was till now hearing the Satyam case, also posted the matter on hearing of framing charges against Raju and nine others to March 3.
The CBI, probing the Satyam fraud, has so far filed three charge-sheets against the accused.
Later speaking to media persons, chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) M Vijaya Lakshmi said the special court has been named as additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) court for the Satyam scam cases.
The government had sanctioned three regular posts -- one each of ACMM, superintendent and senior assistant -- and permitted the court to outsource 13 posts of administrative staff. However, the CMM said the AP high court objected to the outsourcing.
"We have allocated some of the existing staff to the new court," the CMM said, adding that two cases filed by the CBI pertaining to Satyam scam will be dealt by the special court.
However, it is not clear whether the cases filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) will be transferred to the new court. The matter would be examined, the CMM said.
The new ACMM BVLN Chakravarty earlier has served as senior civil judge of Ongole.
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