TRS MLAs Poaching Case: Independent SIT To Report To Court, Says Telangana HC

The court was hearing a Writ appeal by the BJP against the single judge order regarding TRS MLAs poaching case.

Four MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which recently launched a national party Bharat Rashtra Samithi, have alleged that the BJP tried poaching them. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The Telangana High Court stated on Tuesday, 15 November, that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs poaching case, will be independent and will continue to investigate. The SIT is headed by Hyderabad Commissioner of Police, CV Anand. However, the SIT will report to a High Court judge.  

The court was hearing a Writ Appeal by the BJP. The appeal was filed by the BJP against the single-judge order, which allowed the Telangana Police to probe a case of alleged poaching attempt of four Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs.  

The appeal was seeking a stay on police probe and a direction to entrust the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The appeal was filed soon after the court vacated the stay in the case and allowed the police to probe the matter.

Why the BJP Wants an Independent Probe 

The three accused, Satish Sharma alias Ramachandra Bharati, K Nandakumar, and DPSKVN Simhayaji, allegedly offered bribe of Rs 250 crore and other incentives to TRS MLAs Pilot Rohith Reddy, Bheeram Harshavardhan Reddy, P Rega Kantha Rao, and Guvvala Balaraju. The police have video recordings which were made when the accused met the four TRS MLAs at a farmhouse at Moinabad, near Hyderabad.

The BJP had said in its plea, “We have no faith in the state police because they all work under the state government headed by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who has launched his BRS party at a national level and is trying to defame BJP as part of his party’s strategy.”  

After the single judge order, the party’s General Secretary Premendar Reddy said that they had clarified their position before the single judge where questions of maintainability of their petition seeking CBI probe. He added that they were expecting a decision from the judge on maintainability but instead the state police was allowed to continue their probe.  

(With inputs from Times of India)