ED questions BRS lawmaker in drug peddling case

Pilot Rohit Reddy wondered why the ED authorities had sought to question him on the MLAs’ poaching case. “I was the complainant in the case. Instead of questioning the accused, why should they question me? This is nothing but harassment,” he said

Hyderabad

Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy was the four legislators who were allegedly approached by three persons – Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy -- for poaching into the BJP on October 26 (ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate, which summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy for questioning on Monday and Tuesday in connection with money laundering in a drug peddling case, announced that it is probing the case of alleged attempt to poach four BRS MLAs into the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The ED authorities disclosed this to Reddy, after interrogating him in Hyderabad for eight hours before letting him off after 11 pm on Tuesday. Reddy was originally summoned on December 16 for questioning in connection with a 2021 Bengaluru narcotics seizure case.

“The ED authorities began their questioning by asking my personal details and that of my family members, besides our sources of income and properties, and sought relevant documents. They did not seek any information about money laundering, drugs or any other illegal activities,” he told reporters.

On Tuesday evening, the ED authorities told Reddy that they would like to question him with regard to the MLAs’ poaching case.

He wondered why the ED authorities had sought to question him on the MLAs’ poaching case. “I was the complainant in the case. Instead of questioning the accused, why should they question me? This is nothing but harassment,” he said.

Stating that he was asked to come again for questioning on December 27, the BRS MLA said he was forced to give up his Ayyappa Deeksha because of the questioning by the ED.

Reddy was among the four BRS MLAs, the other three being Guvvala Balaraju, Rega Kantha Rao and B Harshavardhan Reddy, who were allegedly approached by three persons – Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy -- for poaching into the BJP on October 26.

Rohit Reddy lodged a complaint with the Cyberabad police saying that the trio, who had met the MLAs at his farmhouse at Aziznagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad on October 26, had offered the MLAs huge money, contracts and positions if they joined the BJP.

While the three accused were remanded to judicial custody, the state government appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand on November 9, to investigate the case.

Till now, the Central agencies have not stepped in to conduct the probe in the MLAs’ poaching case, though Telangana BJP approached the state high court seeking a CBI investigation, saying it had no faith in the state police. The high court, which had heard the arguments of the BJP and the state government, reserved its judgement.

Rohit Reddy’s name figured in the February 2021 drug seizure case, as he allegedly attended a party hosted by Kannada film producer Shankar Gowda in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru police, who arrested four Nigerians and seized drugs worth ₹4 crore from them, suspected that drugs were meant to be supplied to the party hosted by Shankar Gowda.