TRS MLA drags party leadership into human trafficking case

Hyderabad, May 9 (UNI) Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA K Lingaiah named in the human trafficking case in which BJP MP Babubhai Katara was allegedly involved, today set the cat among the pigeons by dragging the names of senior party leaders even as local courts extended the judicial remand of the accused in the case.

Even as it remanded Mr Lingaiah to judicial custody till May 11, the XII Metropolitan Magistrate Court extended the judicial custody of Rashid, the alleged kingpin of the case, till May 18.

Mr Lingaiah reportedly confessed to the police during interrogation earlier that Dilip, a close associate of TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao, had introduced Rashid to him.

Mr Lingaiah claimed he met Rashid in the office of Senior TRS Leader and former union minister A Narendra, who had been suspended from the party soon after the racket came to light, police sources said.

The MLA also confessed to have attended a visa interview at the US Consulate in Chennai on January 21, 2007 along with the Gujarati woman whose photographs were fixed on the fake passort obtained in the name of his wife Ms Tara.

Later, talking to newspersons at the court premises, Mr Lingaiah denied any involvement in the scam and blamed Rashid UNI