In a major embarrassment to TDP N Chandrababu Naidu led by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday caught his MLA Revanth Reddy for allegedly trying to give a bribe of Rs 50 lakh MLA nominee Elvis Stephenson “to vote
TDP favor of a candidate “in Telangana Legislative Council elections scheduled tomorrow.
CPF Reddy and two other detainees were being questioned. The trap was placed himself after Stephenson had filed a complaint with the ACB.
“Revanth Reddy and his assistant allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 50 lakh as advance as part of the agreement five crore rupees. Reddy offered to make the payment of Rs 50 lakh to a friend Stephenson,” said an official of the ACB senior.
The TDP MLA and his assistant had gone to the residence of Stephenson in Secunderabad Lalaguda to hand over cash when they caught the ACB detectives offering the bribe, he said. “After the vote, the remaining Rs 4.5 million rupees were to pay,” said the official. Speaking to reporters, he said Director General of ACB AK Khan, “Reddy was arrested along with Uday S. Sebastian and Harry. Stephenson had filed a complaint with the ACB indicating that he was offered a bribe in connection with the election MLC “.
“After a preliminary investigation, a case was registered and MLA Reddy and two others were captured, while delivering the cash based on the evidence. They were arrested and being questioned. Under the law, the process is in question and FIR has been registered under section 12 of the Law on Prevention of Corruption and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, “he said.
He said he will be formally arrested and produced before the court after his questioning is over. “The cash of Rs 50 lakh has been recovered and according to preliminary research was an upfront as part of the bribe offer. We audiovisual evidence of the alleged offer. It is a cognizable offense and non-bailable. Efforts are to catch another defendant M Jerusalem, “Khan said. According to the alleged footage of the conversation between Reddy and Stephenson in connection with the agreement, which was broadcast by TV channels, Stephenson asked Reddy, “Four and a half, what?”. To this Reddy replied: “Four point five million rupees total Rs five crore … what you asked me I convinced my boss…” Elections to the Legislative Council under quota Telangana MLAs’ constituency of the Assembly is scheduled for Monday to fill six vacancies.
Meanwhile, Reddy claimed he was being falsely implicated in the case. “I have been framed in the case by the chief K Chandrasekhar Rao Telangana minister,” he said.
