YSRCP rebel MP gets breather in MLAs’ poaching case

In a breather to Andhra Pradesh MP K. Raghurama Krishna Raju, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing MLAs’ poaching case has exempted him from appearance on Tuesday.

The rebel MP of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was informed by the SIT that he need not appear before the probe team on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Gangadhar sent a mail to the Lok Sabha member in this regard. Raju was told that he would be informed later as to when he should make himself available for questioning.

The SIT had last week issued the notice under section 41A of Criminal Procedure Code to Raju, a Lok Sabha member from the Narasapuram constituency. He was directed to appear before the SIT officials in Hyderabad on November 29.

The probe team had reportedly summoned him to question him about his links with the accused in the case.

Raju is the seventh person to be summoned by the SIT for questioning.

Lawyers Bhusarapu Srinivas and Pratap Goud and Chitralekha, wife of Nanda Kumar, one of the three accused in the case, have so far appeared before the SIT.

BJP general secretary B.L. Santosh, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) president Tushar Vellapally and a doctor from Kerala, Jaggu Swamy are yet to appear.

The SIT has issued lookout notices for Tushar, an ally of the BJP in Kerala and Jaggu Swamy as the probe team failed to locate their whereabouts.

The Telangana High Court last week stayed SIT notice to Santosh till December 5.

Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Simhayaji and Nanda Kumar were arrested by the Cyberabad police from a farmhouse at Moinabad near Hyderabad on the night of October 26 when they were allegedly trying to lure four MLAs of TRS with offers of huge money to make them defect to the BJP.

Cyberabad police conducted the raid on a tip-off by Pilot Rohit Reddy, one of the MLAs. He alleged that the accused offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs 50 crore each to three others.

The accused were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.