Telangana MLAs' poaching case: SIT summons two for questioning

Hyderabad, Nov 17:  Intensifying its investigation into the Telangana MLAs' poaching case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has issued notices to two individuals.

A lawyer from Telangana's Karimnagar district and a relative of the state President of a national party have been reportedly summoned for questioning.

The SIT has directed them to appear before SIT at Police Command and Control Room in Hyderabad on November 21.

They have also been asked to come with their mobile phones. The SIT also warned them not to tamper with the evidence or leave for abroad.

One the two men had allegedly arranged flight tickets for Simhayaji, one of the three accused arrested in the case last month.

The SIT had also reportedly summoned Tushar of Kerala. The accused, during their meeting with four MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), spoke to Tushar over phone.

Tushar had contested Lok Sabha election against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad on the ticket of a national party.

Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Simhayaji and Aand Nandakumar 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.

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.

The Telangana High Court on Tuesday rejected the BJP plea to hand over MLAs' poaching case to the CBI but made the SIT probing the case independent.

It also ruled that a judge will monitor the investigation into the case.

It asked the SIT to submit a report to the court on November 29 on the progress of the investigation.

The state government on November 9 constituted SIT to probe the case. Headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner, it includes six other police officers.

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.