Second TRS MLA booked in fake passport case

Hyderabad, May 3 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh police today registered a case against Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA S Babu Rao in connection with the fake passport scam, following interrogation of TRS legislator K Lingaiah, who surrendered before the police on April 27.

After intense interrogation of Mr Lingaiah, the Central Crime Station (CCS) wing of the city police, acting on evidence, booked a case against Mr Rao, a first time tribal MLA from backward Adilabad district, for allegedly morphing another woman's photo in place of his wife to send her abroad, police sources said.

Mr Rao, a tribal teacher representing Boath reserved seat in the Assembly, went into hiding after his name figured in the fake passport racket, involving Gujarat BJP MP Babubhai Katara.

Mr Lingaiah had surrendered before a city court on April 27 for his alleged involvement in the case by obtaining a fake passport for a Gujarati woman in the name of his wife.

Yet another TRS MLA K Lakshma Reddy was also suspected to be involved in the passport fraud, which was unearthed following Katara's arrest for sending a woman from Punjab and a boy to Canada, claiming on his wife's passport.

Assessing that the case could have wider ramifications, police were now probing allegations against Telugu Desam Party(TDP) MLAs as well as Congress leaders.

It may be noted that Sunderlal, one of the arrested men, had confessed meeting Rashid, the main suspect in the racket, through TRS chief and former Union Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

UNI