TRS MLAs 'poaching' case: Court rejects SIT memo to name BJP leader Santhosh

The Telangana government on November 9 ordered the setting up of a seven-member SIT to probe into the alleged attempt of poaching of the MLAs.

Hyderabad, Dec 06: A court here on Tuesday rejected the plea of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case of alleged conspiracy to poach four TRS MLAs, to name senior BJP leader B L Santhosh and three others as accused in the case.

Based on the investigations so far, the SIT had in November filed a memo in the court with a request to array BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) Santhosh and two persons from Kerala--Tushar Vellappally and Jaggu Swamy, besides an advocate B Srinivas, as accused (A4 to A7) in the case.

However, after hearing the arguments, the special court of Anti-Corruption Bureau here rejected the memo.

Three persons -- Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy, were already named as accused (A1 to A3) in the case after a complaint was lodged by TRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, among four legislators, against them on October 26.

Following the complaint cases under relevant sections-criminal conspiracy, offering bribe and Prevention of Corruption Act-1988- were filed against them. The trio was recently granted bail by the High Court.

The court in its order observed that neither Law and Order police nor Special Investigation Team is competent to investigate into the offences relating to the PC Act and only the Special Police Establishment--Anti-Corruption Bureau is competent authority to investigate.

Therefore, on this ground also, the request of the Investigating Officer to array the proposed accused as A4 to A7 cannot be considered. As such, the memo filed by the Investigating Officer is liable to be rejected, it said.

As per the FIR copy, Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return the legislator had to leave the TRS and contest as a BJP candidate in the next Assembly election. They also allegedly asked Reddy to bring some more TRS MLAs by offering Rs 50 crore each to join the BJP.

The Telangana government on November 9 ordered the setting up of a seven-member SIT to probe into the alleged attempt of poaching of the MLAs.