Thursday 7 May 2009

Satyam Raju spends horrifying nigh with bandicoots in lockup

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Scurryingbandicoots and rats didn’t allow the ex-Satyam boss, Mr B. Ramalinga Raju, and his aides to sleep for a moment in the police lockup on Tuesday night.
Apart from the Raju brothers and the ex-CFO, Mr Vadlamani Srinivas, the auditors, Mr Gopalakrishnan and Mr T. Srinivas, were also lodged in the Central Crime Station lock up by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
It was nightmarish to say the least and the bleary-eyed men recounted the experience to their lawyers on Wednesday. Following this, the counsels rushed to the CBI and requested it to change the lock-up. However, the request was turned down for security reasons.
“The CCS facility is well guarded and secure but does not have any facilities,” said a senior police officer. This means that one has to grit one’s teeth and try to sleep as rats and bandicoots run all over the cell and probably over one’s body as well.
“The bandicoots are ferocious and they were almost shivering with fear,” said another police officer.
“There is no bed or any other facility.” The CBI had chosen the lockup for security reasons, but police officers themselves say that it is a highly depressing experience to be within it.
Though Mr Raju and his fellow accused were taken to the Dilkusha Guest house for questioning, they were taken back to the same lockup on Wednesday night too.
Meanwhile, CBI officials grilled the Raju brothers for the second day to get more details about the Satyam fraud. Sleuths asked them about fund diversion and sought to know how they bought lands after offloading the shares. They found out that there was regular insider trading in the company. Ramalinga Raju, and his aides to sleep for a moment in the police lockup on Tuesday night.
Apart from the Raju brothers and the ex-CFO, Mr Vadlamani Srinivas, the auditors, Mr Gopalakrishnan and Mr T. Srinivas, were also lodged in the Central Crime Station lock up by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
It was nightmarish to say the least and the bleary-eyed men recounted the experience to their lawyers on Wednesday. Following this, the counsels rushed to the CBI and requested it to change the lock-up. However, the request was turned down for security reasons.
“The CCS facility is well guarded and secure but does not have any facilities,” said a senior police officer. This means that one has to grit one’s teeth and try to sleep as rats and bandicoots run all over the cell and probably over one’s body as well.
“The bandicoots are ferocious and they were almost shivering with fear,” said another police officer.
“There is no bed or any other facility.” The CBI had chosen the lockup for security reasons, but police officers themselves say that it is a highly depressing experience to be within it.
Though Mr Raju and his fellow accused were taken to the Dilkusha Guest house for questioning, they were taken back to the same lockup on Wednesday night too.
Meanwhile, CBI officials grilled the Raju brothers for the second day to get more details about the Satyam fraud. Sleuths asked them about fund diversion and sought to know how they bought lands after offloading the shares. They found out that there was regular insider trading in the company.

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