TRS MLA surrenders, court grants police custody of Rashid

Hyderabad, May 10 (UNI) Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Legislator S Bapu Rao, against whom a case has been registered in connection with the human trafficking case, today presented himself before police, even as a city court granted the police eight days custody of Rashid, the alleged kingpin of the case.

The XII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate also remanded the other accused Mujafar Ali, an aide of Rashid and former TDP city corporator, in two days police custody.

Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh told reporters here that the MLA presented himself before the Central Crime Station police, responding to the notice issued to him by it. ''His statement has been recorded. Further action will be initatied after verification.'' Talking to reporters, Mr Rao, a dissident MLA, claimed that he was 'innocent' and had been implicated in the case by TRS President K Chandrasekara Rao. He, however, admitted that he had got in touch with Rashid through his party colleague K Lingaiah, now in judicial custody.

Mr Rao, the tribal TRS MLA from the reserved Boath constituency in Adilabad district, had gone underground soon after the city police registered the case on May 3 against him on the charge of securing passports for others in the name of his wife and three children.

Earlier, reports suggested that he had surrendered in the police.

UNI