Public Woes - Is Ramalinga Raju a raja?

By M H Ahssan

Even Some Employees, Visitors Are Not Being Allowed Into Hyderabad CID Office. Call it a kind of collateral damage. K Srinivas is neither an investor in Satyam Computers nor an employee. But on Tuesday, the disgraced ex-chairman of the company B Ramalinga Raju was the cause of his misery.

Srinivas went to the Cyber Crime police station located in the Crime Investigation Department (CID) building at AC Guards to pursue a case he had filed but was in for a rude shock. "You are not allowed in. Come back on Thursday," a policeman bluntly told him. Not one to give up, Srinivas then called up Cyber Crime police on phone but the voice on the other side said, "No officer is available now".

The reason? The high profile accused B Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju and former chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas, in police custody for the past three days have been lodged at the CID building.

In fact, their interrogation is directly affecting work in the other wings of CID, especially Cyber Crime police station, Women Protection Cell (WPC) and Anti Human Trafficking Wing for the past two days as their offices are located in the same building where Raju is lodged.

"The security is unprecedented", a visitor to the vicinity said. He added: "It is an intimidating sight with a large number of police vehicles parked on either side of the road".

At least four gun-toting policeman posted at the building are ensuring that no visitor gets in. It is learnt that some staff members, especially of the cyber crime were asked to stay away from the office from January 19. This situation will continue till Wednesday. In fact, everyday about 50 visitors come to the building. Some to lodge complaints with the cyber police and WPC and some to check the status of their case or to discuss problems with the police.

While police officers entering the building have to display their identity cards, the personal assistants, gunmen and drivers of the senior officers are being asked to stay on the ground floor itself. Even sub-inspectors and inspectors are not being allowed into the two floors where the trio are being interrogated.

"For whose benefit is this security, I wonder? Do they apprehend that angry investors will barge in and rough up Raju? Or do they think that Raju is a raja?" asked an angry Satish Reddy who had to return without his job being done.