ESI Scam: AP High Court Refuses Anticipatory Bail To Pithani’s Son

AMARAVATI: In a big shock to Ex-Minister Pithani Satyanarayana's son Venkata Suresh, Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by him and two others who are allegedly involved in the multi-crore ESI Scam. Fearing that they would be arrested at any moment, ex-minister's son Venkata Suresh and former personal secretary to Pithani Satyanarayana, Murali Krishna, have filed an anticipatory bail plea in the high court.
The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Friday arrested Murali Mohan, who had earlier worked as a personal secretary to former Minister Pithani Satyanarayana, for his alleged involvement in the ESI scam. Presently, he is working as a section officer in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department in the Secretariat.

Pithani Satyanarayana succeeded K Atchannaidu as the labour minister during the TDP regime. It has been alleged that the scam, allegedly in the purchasing of medicines and other medical equipment on a large scale, had taken place during the tenure of Pithani Satyanarayana.
Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths have collected evidence on the involvement of ex-minister Pithani Satyanarayana's son Venkata Suresh in the sensational multi-crore ESI scam.
Pithani Venkata Suresh reportedly played a major role in giving contracts to people known to him.

It is alleged, contractors queued up at his native place Kommuchikkalaku to get their works done. ACB has found that during the tenure of Pithani Satyanarayana as labour minister, the works pertaining to the ministry used to be allocated at the behest of his son Venkata Suresh. There was also this speculation then that contract works used to be given only after the aspirants met Venkata Suresh and paid a 10-percent cut. It was learnt that the ex-minister’s son used to write chits on who should get the tenders and the allocations used to happen based on his directions.