Ex-Andhra Speaker Booked for ‘Shifting’ Assembly Furniture to Home

Officials carried out a search and reportedly found 32 chairs, four sofas, three tables, one teapoy and other items.

The case was registered against Rao at the Thullur police station in Guntur district.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Kodela Siva Prasad Rao)

A case has been registered against former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao at the Thullur police station in Guntur district, days after he admitted to ‘shifting’ Assembly furniture and computers to his residence.

Assembly officials had even searched a motorbike showroom belonging to Rao’s family on Friday, following information that some of the furniture was shifted to the showroom in Guntur.

Although they were stopped by the staff and Rao’s lawyer, they carried on their search and reportedly identified 32 chairs, four sofas, three tables, one teapoy and other items.

According to Thullur Circle Inspector, a case was registered on Saturday night based on a complaint filed by Andhra Pradesh Assembly Section Officer Eshwar Rao. Kodela Siva Prasad has been booked under IPC section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property).

Rao Admitted to ‘Shifting’ Furniture

Earlier on Tuesday, Kodela Siva Prasad had admitted that he had 'shifted' expensive furniture from the premises of the old state Assembly building in Hyderabad, to his residence-cum-office in Sattenapalli in Guntur district.

The senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader’s ‘confession’ came after it was reported that some items, including furniture and computers, had gone missing when the assets of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were bifurcated.

Kodela Siva Prasad Rao had justified the move by saying, "If we would have left the furniture at the Speaker's chamber in Hyderabad, maintenance may have been a problem. They may not even have been secure. Due to this, I shifted the furniture to my camp office in Sattenapalli."

"As there were elections in the state and many things after that, I had gotten busy. I got a letter from the Assembly Secretary asking about the furniture and computers. I replied, stating that I would send the electronic items and furniture back and if needed I'm even willing to pay the price of the items, as we have used them," he added.

(This story was originally published on The News Minute and has been republished here with permission.)