Emaar case: CBI Joint Director briefs Andhra Chief Secretary on probe progress

HYDERABAD: CBI Joint Director V V Lakshmi Narayana today met Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi and briefed him about the arrest of Principal Secretary (Home) B P Acharya in the Emaar Properties scandal.

The top CBI official also briefed the Chief Secretary on the progress of investigation in the Emaar and iron ore illegal mining cases currently being probed by the agency.

"We are in the process of filing a chargesheet in the Emaar Properties case," Lakshmi Narayana told newsmen after his 45-minute meeting with the Chief Secretary.

He said they were awaiting permission from the Government of India for filing a chargesheet against another senior IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who was arrested in the iron ore illegal mining case involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.

He refuted allegations that the agency was using third degrees measures while interrogating the accused in Emaar and other cases.

Meanwhile, the CBI issued a press note "advising" the media to refrain from publishing\transmitting inaccurate and speculative news relating to cases being investigated by it.

"Several news reports published\telecast in certain sections of print and electronic media in the recent past, with regard to cases under investigation by CBI, are without any substance or basis," Narayana said in the press release.

His statement comes in the backdrop of allegations by Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is also facing CBI probe into his amassing of illegal wealth, that the agency was deliberately "leaking" information related to the investigation of cases to select media houses only with a view to tarnish his image.