Hyderabad, Augsut 29: Head of the Chanchalguda Jail Keshav Naidu, where tainted mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy was lodged, has been removed for allegedly giving preferential treatment to the Karnataka legislator.
Sources in the prison department said that on orders of Naidu, Gali, prisoner no 697 was given special bedsheets and drycleaned towels daily (at his own cost), besides facilities such as a personal cook, an attender and a computer assistant to facilitate his communication with his advocates and associates.
The jailer also arranged for body massage for Reddy twice a week. “Fruits, and non-vegetarian food was smuggled into the jail, besides fresh bread, biscuits and chocolates as and when Reddy demanded,” says a prison warder on the assurance of anonymity.
The nexus of the jailer with the VVIP prisoner was exposed on the 46th birthday of Reddy on January 11. Special food was cooked and served to all convicts.
Special rituals and pujas were conducted at the temple in the jail, all of course, at the expense of the mining baron. The jailer also hosted in his bungalow a special get-together for Gali.
A source said “such things are common” in Chanchalguda jail which housed VVIPs.
Waking up somewhat late, the state prisons department cracked the whip, and shunted Keshav Naidu out.
He is being posted as the principal of the State Institute of Correctional Administration for his act of pampering the mining baron.
With Saidaiah, currently jailer of Warrangal Central Prison, replacing Naidu, things may not be so rosy for the VVIP prisoners at Chanchalguda as Gali’s MLA brother Somasekhara Reddy and their relative Dasharatharama Reddy are lodged in the same prison.
Keshav Naidu is the latest officer to pay the price for favouring Janardhana Reddy.
Two IAS officers, Y Srilakshmi and V D Rajagopal have already been jailed for supporting the deal of OMC. Similarly judge T Pattabhirama Rao and two other judges were also jailed in the bail for cash scandal.
Meanwhile, former CBI Principal Judge Naga Maruti Sharma, who heard most of the Gali’s case on Monday revealed that Gali’s men have offered the same deal they offered to Pattabhirama Rao.
“But I said I will not deviate from law as I believed that for a judge, taking bribe is nothing but committing suicide,” ACB sources said quoting Sharma who appeared before them for questioning with regard to cash for bail scam.
