Investigation: He sleeps with his wife in jail

A seasoned offender who was deported from a Thailand prison is leading a luxurious life inside the Central Prison in the city, thanks to his unlimited ill-gotten wealth. Deccan Post brings out the unpleasant truth

Despite being an ordinary prisoner, Kosaraju Venkateshwar Rao is being treated as a VIP. He has a separate enclosure in the jail and is allowed to have fun with his wife Swarnalatha in jailor’s restroom, where bed is made available for them.

The defunct Krushi Bank chairman who requested for his extradition from Thailand to India tired of a life of squalor, warding off homosexual advances in the Bangkok prison. But at the Central Prison in Chanchalguda, the swindler is allegedly leading a luxurious life as perfect as money and power can make it.

Kosaraju Venkateshwar Rao, chairman of the erstwhile Krushi Bank was brought back to Hyderabad on June 28, 2006, from the Bangkok prison. Since then he has been lodged in the Central Prison at Chanchalguda. He has been remanded for siphoning off public funds forcing the bank’s collapse. Rao escaped to the UK in July 2001 with his pregnant wife Swarnalatha. He then sneaked into Thailand where he opened an export and import company, CID officials said. Thailand police arrested him in November 2005 and later extradited him to India.

For a man who bathed in mineral water and lived luxuriously squandering public money, two and a half years of prison life must be terrible. But the money that he swindled from innocent depositors is reportedly helping him ‘buy’ facilities not only lavish for a prisoner but also not permissible.

Prison sources told Deccan Post many shocking things happening inside the fortified walls of the central prison. Sources said Rao is allowed to meet his wife Swarnalatha in full privacy of the duty jailor’s rest room where a bed is made available round the clock. Deputy Superintendent of the Prison, M R Ravi Kiran was quick in denying the allegation. “She might have come in to talk to the jailor,” he said. There is a common waiting hall where there is a see-through fencing separating the visitors and the prisoners. Visitors have to speak to the prisoners through the fencing only, he said.

But, sources say there is a price to pay to meet the prisoner in privacy. Senior Jailor G Garudachalam says that in some cases close relatives are allowed to talk to the prisoners in privacy on “humanitarian grounds”, but in the presence of the prison staff. Prison sources said the price for one meeting in privacy ranges between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000.

Officials, however, said visitors for high security prisoners are called into the jailor’s room where they can talk to the prisoners so as to prevent any untoward incident. What kind of untoward incident can happen? Prison authorities have a ready answer. “A few weeks ago, visitors who came to see a prisoner Patlolla Govardhan Reddy were whisked away. They were reportedly hatching a conspiracy for a kidnap. Such things can be prevented by allowing visitors for some prisoners to meet in jailor’s room”, says the deputy superintendent.

This reporter spotted a couple of political leaders clad in khadi outfits talking to some prisoners in privacy even as the prison staff looked the other way.

Just like the good old days, Rao has a separate enclosure in the Old Hospital block, now called as new jail. Officials admit that he is a normal prisoner and has to be treated on par with other prisoners. But senior prison officials gave him a separate room on the pretext that he would mingle with other criminals if he is kept in the common barracks. What a compassion for the wealthy prisoner that they want to save him from mingling with hoodlums!

Prison sources say they never saw Rao taking food served commonly for the prisoners because he never stays in his room when it is unlocked. Most of the time, he stays in the prison store. It is not known whether his food is cooked separately in the store where a small stove is available or but sources say cooked stuff is smuggled inside by some “helping hands.”.

His routine is said to be perfect. Wakes up early in the morning and gets fresh before coming out to play badminton in his famous shorts, T-shirt and shoes. Some senior members of the prison staff allegedly entertain Rao by joining him in the game at the badminton court prepared exclusively for him. “He is rich, so he wears good clothes like T-shirts and shorts. After all, there is freedom for under trials to wear what they like,” says jailor Garudachalam.

Rao gets quality shuttle cocks from outside. “Yes. Some prisoners pay and get shuttle cocks because the department cannot afford to provide enough of them due to lack of sufficient funds,” says Deputy Superintendent Ravi Kiran.

“After a little playing, Rao takes bath and goes to the store. We don’t know what he does there and what kind of a food he gets there. But he drinks only mineral water,” sources said adding he gets two English papers and lots of fruits, biscuits and other baked food. “Yes it is true. He gets Economic Times and one more English newspaper for which he pays. Also he gets some fruits and biscuits. Not just him, some other prisoners get separate newspapers for them. There is a provision that they can buy newspapers, fruits, biscuits and cigarettes,” Ravi Kiran said.

“He is a prudent investor,” says CID officer P Rajkumar, who is now investigating Rao’s case. Obviously, he must be suggesting his relatives after reading the Economic Times where to invest the hidden money, sources said.

Rao is also provided with two assistants. Normally, A and B Class prisoners are provided with assistants from among the prisoners. But Rao is just an ordinary prisoner. Then where do the assistants come from? Yet again officials have an answer. “Some people who cannot do their own work, offer fruits, cigarettes and even some cash in return for doing their works like washing their clothes etc. We do not allow even such things. We will stop such things when we come to know,” says the Deputy Superintendent.

According to the prison authorities, Rao has been given a separate enclosure and other prisoners are not allowed to meet him. Under these conditions how has he been able to rope in two assistants notwithstanding what he offers them in return for their services? Is two years of time not enough for the officials to stop Rao from having assistants? No answer. 

Sources say Rao keeps in constant touch with the outside world over cell phone, a facility allegedly provided by some senior officials. But it is not clear whether he replaces the SIM card before making his calls, sources said. Prison authorities said people throw cell phones, ganja and a few other things into the prison because it is located on the main road. “We conduct regular searches and recover any objectionable things, says Ravi Kiran.

They are smart. They find some way or the other to negate our efforts to maintain order in the prison, said the Deputy Superintendent. The superintendent of the prison was reluctant to speak to Deccan Post.

Rao’s counsel at the Nampally court, G Ashok Reddy told Deccan Post that further investigation in the case is pending due to the pending request by the CID for a narco-analysis on Rao.

Rao wakes up early, plays badminton with jail officials, gets delicious food and two English dailies, speaks over cell phones and drinks only mineral water.

Courtesy: deccanpost.in (read epaper http://epaper.deccanpost.in/)