Last Updated: December 19, 2022, 23:58 IST
ED officials only asked details about him, his family and his business and he cooperated with them and replied to their queries
(Representative Image)
The legislator from Tandur has been asked by the central agency to again appear before them on Tuesday
Ruling BRS MLA in Telangana Pilot Rohith Reddy, complainant in the case related to an alleged attempt to poach party MLAs, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Monday.
The legislator from Tandur has been asked by the central agency to again appear before them on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, after appearing before the agency officials, Rohith Reddy on Monday night said he was asked about his details and bio-data and that he was not told why the ED summoned him.
The ED officials did not give him the reasons for seeking his appearance despite him asking them for the same, he claimed.
As a law-abiding citizen, he appeared before the central agency and answered to their queries, Rohith Reddy said.
“Despite me asking the ED officials several times on why they called me, they did not give me any information on which case, complaint or allegation they summoned me and only asked me to cooperate. They told me to again appear before them tomorrow to continue the inquiry,” Rohith Reddy said.
He said the ED officials only asked details about him, his family and his business and he cooperated with them and replied to their queries.
“They have not given me any kind of clarity and let’s see if they will tell me tomorrow. They asked my bio-data. They did not ask me anything regarding any illegal transactions or anything related to money laundering. I will speak to my legal team,” Rohith Reddy said.
The ED had last week served notice to Rohith Reddy to appear before it today, though he had earlier said he has no clue as to why the investigating agency has served the notice.
Rohith Reddy, before entering the ED office here, told reporters that he had sought time till December 31 to appear before the central agency, but they refused and insisted on his appearance today.
He had earlier denied allegations of his involvement in any narcotics-related cases.
Three people — Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy – were named as accused in the case (alleged attempt to poach BRS MLAs) after a complaint was lodged by Rohith Reddy, among four legislators, against the three on October 26.
The trio was subsequently arrested and later granted bail by the High Court.
As per the FIR copy, Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return the legislator has to leave the TRS, now BRS, and contest as a BJP candidate in the next Assembly elections.
They allegedly asked Reddy to bring some more BRS MLAs by offering Rs 50 crore each to join the BJP.
The Telangana government on November 9 ordered the setting up of a seven-member SIT to probe into the alleged attempt of poaching MLAs.
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