Telangana forms SIT to probe MLAs' poaching case
Hyderabad, Nov 9 : The Telangana government on Wednesday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe MLA's poaching case in which three alleged agents of BJP were arrested last month.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government's move came a day after the Telangana High Court lifted the stay on the investigation in the case.
The SIT will be headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand. Six other police officers - Nalgonda SP Rema Rajeshwari, Cyberabad DCP Kalmeshwar Shingenavar, DCP R. Jagadishwar Reddy, Narayanpet SP N. Venkateshwarlu, ACP B. Gangadhar and SHO Laxmi Reddy - will be the members of the team.
The state government issued a Government Order (GO) after Director General of Police made a request to constitute the SIT in public interest to carry out proper investigation in an expeditious manner.
According to the GO, the DGP informed the government that since the case is sensitive, high profile and sensational in nature as it involves investigation in multiple dimensions, which requires thorough scientific and evidence-based investigation in an elaborate manner, it requires officers with experience and requisite expertise with specific skill sets to carry out investigation.
The three accused said to be BJP agents were arrested 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.
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.
Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, a priest from Faridabad in Haryana, Simhayaji, pontiff of Srimanatha Raja Peetham in Tirupati, and Nandakumar, owner of a restaurant in Hyderabad were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Addressing a news conference on November 3, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had released evidence in the case including video recordings of the conversation between the accused and the MLAs.
The accused had mentioned names of some top BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah.