KLIS Case Set To Be Biggest In Telugu States, Say Experts

Hyderabad: The Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) financial irregularities case, which is to be handed over to the CBI for investigation, is one of the biggest cases in the country in terms of financial fraud.

Earlier, the CBI had probed high profile cases of quid pro-quo involving Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Obulapuram mining case in which former Karnataka minister and business tycoon Gali Janardhan Reddy was convicted, and the Emmar case involving Trimex Group chairman Koneru Rajendra Prasad known as Koneru Prasad and K. Sunil Reddy in united Andhra Pradesh.

After a couple of decades, the CBI would probe the KLIS case for financial fraud, business rules violations, IAS officers role, sanction of funds without Cabinet nod and mismatching financial audit reports. It was reported that the state government was preparing order copies to be sent to the CBI director, New Delhi and joint director, CBI, Hyderabad, S Veeresh Prabhu for consideration to register cases, investigate and take action.

Sources further said that the CBI officials in Hyderabad had obtained and verified the Justice P.C. Ghose commission report before receiving the official order from the government. After receiving orders, an FIR would be made from the CBI Hyderabad office.

CBI joint director in Hyderabad Prabhu, a 2005 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, who is on Central deputation, would lead the teams in registering cases and monitoring the investigation.

Prabhu, who has a tenure of up to October 13, 2027, is one of the best 25 officers in CBI and received an award for his meritorious service from President Draupadi Murmu last year. Interestingly, Prabhu, a native of Ballari district of Karnataka, has an association with Hyderabad: He did Master's Degree in Police Management from Osmania University. Prabhu also worked as additional commissioner of police, Mumbai, Maharashtra Crime Branch.

Sources stated that the government's decision in calling a CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram project irregularities was not related to withdrawal of general consent to the agency when K. Chandrashekar Rao was Chief Minister during the BRS government tenure. Following the BRS government order, the CBI had to take permission from the government for handling any case. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has also clarified that the state government grants consent to the CBI on a case-by-case basis.