Cash For MLAs Scam: Police Approach High Court

Challenging the order of the ACB court which rejected their petition seeking judicial remand of the three persons who allegedly tried to poach four MLAs of the TRS, the Cyberabad police on Friday approached the State High Court.

Responding to the petition, the High Court said that it would review the matter on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the police released Ramachandra Bharathi alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swami following the order of the ACB court judge.

According to sources, the police are now reportedly seeking legal opinion for their next course of action in the case.

For the uninitiated, based on a complaint lodged by Tandur MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy, the police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Ramachandra Bharathi, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy.

The case was registered under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 171B (bribery) read with 171E (punishment of bribery) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the complainant, the three accused had offered him an amount of Rs 100 crore, Central government civil contract works and high Central government positions, and asked him to join the BJP in return.

The MLA told the police that he was warned that if he did not join the BJP, there would be criminal cases and raids by ED/CBI against him.

The accused reportedly also offered bribes of Rs 50 crore each to three other MLAs to join the BJP.

However, the court refused to send the three accused to judicial remand, citing lack of evidence. The court observed that the Prevention of Corruption Act did not apply to the case as there was no evidence of bribe money.