HYDERABAD: Former judge Dara Prabhakar Rao, who was an accused in a cash-for-bail case allegedly involving former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at his residence in Hyderabad.

His body was found when his wife Dr Marilyn Prabhalatha and son David Prashanth, who stay at Kompally in Hyderabad, visited him in East Marredpally, Secunderabad, on Sunday to pick him on their way to church.

“Rao was alone at home on Saturday night. When his family members returned home next morning, they found him lying motionless on the floor,” T Laxmi Narayana, inspector of police Tukaramget said.

In July 2012, Prabhakar Rao, a Family Court-cum-3rd Additional district and sessions judge of Srikakulam, was accused of channelling money to another judge to arrange bail for Karnataka mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy. The duo had allegedly struck a deal for Rs. 10 crore to get Janardhan Reddy bail in a case filed against him by CBI. ACB had arrested Prabhakar Rao, along with another serving judge, K Lakshminarasimha Rao. Both the judges were released later on bail and were suspended by the AP High Court in the cash-for-bail scam.

Rao (62) was fighting his case on his own. Family sources said he was depressed at being implicated in the case. His family says he may have committed suicide or suffered a cardiac arrest.

“His body was found lying on the floor. There are no injuries. While sleeping on the cot in the hall, he might have fallen off,” said Lakshminarayana. Based on a complaint from Prabhakar Rao’s wife, police registered a case of suspicious death.