HYDERABAD: The High Court on Friday allowed CBI to grill mining scam-accused bureaucrats Y Srilakshmi and V D Rajagopal in connection with the Jagan Mohan Reddy wealth case. Justice K C Bhanu allowed a petition filed by the agency against an order of the special CBI court that had refused permission for further interrogation of the duo. Srilakshmi, an IAS officer, and Rajagopal, former director of mines, are accused in the Obulapuram mining scam now lodged in the Chanchalguda jail. After hearing arguments from both sides, judge Bhanu permitted the agency to interrogate Srilakshmi and Rajagopal on the jail premises itself. The judge, however, turned down their request that they be allowed to have their advocates around during the questioning. He agreed with the CBI counsel’s argument that the two officials were educated and did not need their advocates’ assistance. The counsels for Srilakshmi and Rajagopal argued that the CBI has no basis to question the two former mining officials, who are neither suspects nor witnesses in the case against Jagan Mohan Reddy. Citing a Supreme Court precedent, judge Bhanu disagreed with this contention.
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