Cash-for-vote: ACB court asks TDP MLA, 2 others to appear on Sept 29

Hyderabad, Sept 1: An Anti-Corruption Bureau court (ACB) here today issued summons to Telangana TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy and two others in a cash-for-vote case, directing them to appear before it on September 29.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Telangana ACB on July 28 last year, the court summoned Reddy, Bishop Sebastian Harry and Rudra Udaya Simha, seeking their appearance. The charge sheet has named Reddy, Harry, Simha and Mathaiah Jerusalem, all booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC in connection with the case. The Hyderabad High Court had earlier quashed an FIR against Mathaiah, which was challenged in the Supreme Court by the ACB.

The ACB today filed a memo in court, following the court's directive on August 29 to investigate all allegations made in a complaint filed by YSR Congress MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu regarding the case.

The bureau told the court that it was already investigating the case and there was no need to file a separate FIR.

"The matter is still under investigation for collection of evidence. As and when the investigation is completed, a supplementary charge sheet will be filed before the court. The transaction (is) the subject matter of probe by ACB Telangana and the subject matter in the complaint filed by Alla Ramakrishna Reddy are one and the same and the same is under investigation," the memo said.

"It is to further submit that ACB Telangana is conducting investigation in the case and is probing the role of all the persons involved in the crime," it said.

In his complaint, Ramakrishna Reddy has alleged that Naidu was the main conspirator in the case. The court had subsequently directed ACB to probe all allegations levelled against the AP CM and submit a report before September 29.

The charge sheet had mentioned Naidu's name, but not as an accused. In May last year, Telangana nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint with the ACB alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by Revanth Reddy to vote in favour of a Telugu Desam MLC nominee in the Telangana Legislative Council polls held on June 1.

PTI