The AP high court has asked Minister Sankara rao to submit material evidence to support the allegations he made against the two ministers, Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana that they had become corrupt and are collecting lakhs of rupees for affecting transfers of officers in their departments.

Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, who sue motto ordered CBI inquiry into the allegations made by Minister Sankara Rao at a media conference on Tuesday, asked the court officials to make the two ministers, CBI and Mr Sankara rao as parties in the sue motto petition.

Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, while ordering the CBI investigation, said it was a rare case of a minister making allegations against his colleagues and if the allegations are proved, the guilty must be punished and if the allegations are proved to be baseless, the person who made such allegations would become liable to be proceeded against for civil and criminal offences. “Then the dignity and integrity of the ministers would be restored,” said the judge.

The judge further said that the instance of a minister making allegations of corruption against his own colleagues is a serious matter and if the allegations are not probed, people would lose confidence in the administrative system itself. “Hence, a proper investigation is needed to probe the matter,” said the judge while asking the CBI to investigate.

Meanwhile, both the ministers, against whom allegations are made, said they would abide by the decision of the Chief Minister Kirankumar reddy on their continuation in the cabinet in the wake of the CBI investigation.