HYDERABAD: Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana had a tough day with the CBI grilling him from 11.30 am to 6 pm Wednesday in connection with the allotment lands to promoters of the Vodarevu and Nizampatnam Port and Industrial Corridor (Vanpic) project, which is one of the many deals being examined by the agency in the Jagan Mohan Reddy assets case.The minister entered Dilkusha guest house looking worried and emerged from more than six hours later, looking tired. Sources said he was grilled in the presence of two of the accused in the case, Vanpic promoter Nimmagadda Prasad and IRS officer KV Brahmananda Reddy.The CBI had reportedly sent a questionnaire to Venkataramana a day before the grilling regarding the allotment of 13,000 acres to Vanpic in Guntur and Praksam districts during the regime of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. However, CBI interrogators shot a number of supplementaries at the minister.The CBI’s case is that the land given to Vanpic was a quid pro quo deal between Jagan Mohan Reddy and its promoters led by Prasad, who went on to invest in the Kadapa MP’s media properties. Brahmananda Reddy was posted in the state’s ports, investments and infrastructure wing as a special secretary and Prasad was the signatory to the deal between the government and Vanpic.Venkataramana was the minister for infrastructure and investment when the deal came into being.Talking to reporters after the grilling, Venkataramana said he was questioned about the cabinet decisions relating to the Vanpic project and details of the agreement signed between the state government and the lead promoter. If Venkataramana endured six hours of grilling -- his second so far -- for Prasad and Brahmananda Reddy it was the sixth consecutive day of facing the CBI’s questions. Venkataramana has been called in for more questions on Thursday.
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