Man In The Middle

The rise and fall of Sana Satish Babu, the man who “bribed” the CBI bosses

- Rahul Devulapalli

The century-old bespoke tailors, Syed Bawkher & Co, have many influential clients, including one Sana Satish Babu. Whatever the occasion, the Hyderabad-based businessman always goes to Chennai’s Cathedral Road to get that perfect look. However, the tailors might not see their client for some time. Babu, 46, is caught in the crossfire between the country’s two top CBI officers—Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana. Babu had claimed that he had paid Asthana, through a middleman, to clear him in a case involving controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Asthana, however, alleged that it was Verma who took the bribe. Amid all the mess, Babu approached the Supreme Court seeking police protection, which was granted. But his other request, for a stay on the CBI notice summoning him for interrogation, was declined. Currently, nobody knows where he is. His 4 crore villa in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, has been under lock and key for the past few days.

To know more, THE WEEK visited his hometown of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. “I do not think I have heard that name before. Who is this Satish?” asked B. Paul, who works at a shop in Shanthinagar, Kakinada. The CBI had recently searched a nearby house, on the suspicion that it was Babu’s guesthouse.

A few kilometres away is Indrapalem, where Babu and a few politicians allegedly tried to develop hundreds of acres of farmland—under the name of Medaline Developers—before handing it over to another firm. “I just know that powerful people are behind that venture,” said Sambashiva Rao, a local resident. He, too, had also not heard of Babu. “They also got a new bridge sanctioned to ensure that the land prices increase,” Rao said.