By Mouli Mareedu
Copyright deccanchronicle
Hyderabad:Suspecting veteran Tollywood actor Jagapathi Babu’s alleged financial involvement with the scam-ridden Sahiti Infra, officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned the actor on Thursday for four hours. The agency reportedly traced money transactions between Jagapathi Babu and Sandu Purnachandra Rao, former director of Sahiti Infratec Ventures India Pvt. Ltd. (SIVIPL).The questioning comes days after the ED arrested Sandu Purnachandra Rao in connection with alleged irregularities involving the diversion of funds under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED officials presented bank account statements indicating transfers from Jagapathi Babu to Sahiti Infra and Purnachandra Rao, reportedly dating back to 2018 when Sahiti Constructions developed villas in Vijayawada.During the session, the actor was asked to provide his bank statements for the last 15 years to allow for thorough verification. The agency also reviewed video clippings of Sahiti project launches in Vijayawada attended by Jagapathi Babu, along with his media statements related to the business activities.Investigators noted that the project lacked an escrow account, with investor funds deposited across multiple bank accounts and collected in cash. According to the agency, Sandu Purnachandra Rao assisted B. Lakshminarayana, MD of Sahiti, in raising over `800 crore from prospective buyers through sales of inventory in projects that were allegedly launched without necessary permissions.The investigation follows an FIR registered by Telangana police against SIVIPL, B. Lakshminarayana, and others for advertising “Pre-Launch Offers” for a residential gated community and collecting substantial amounts from buyers without delivering flats or villas. More than 700 homebuyers were reportedly defrauded, losing nearly Rs 360 crore cumulatively.
