A special court for the Central Bureau of Investigation has sanctioned special prisoner status to suspended senior IAS officer, Mr B.P. Acharya, the main accused in the Emaar Properties case.

Mr Acharya, who was arrested on January 30, submitted to the court that both himself and his wife were IAS officers and led an elite life in the society while pleading for special status in jail.

The counsel for CBI, however, argued that there was no need for giving special status to Mr Acharya.

Another senior IAS officer, Ms Sri Lakshmi, who has also been arrested in the illegal mining case involving Obulapuram Mining Company, is a special class prisoner in the Chenchalguda prison here.