 "Ex-Telangana CM KCR accused of pressuring BJP with MLA poaching case")
Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) allegedly aimed to leverage the "BRS [Bharat Rashtra Samithi] MLAs" poaching case to pressure the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a compromise, seeking relief from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case against his daughter, MLC K Kavitha. This revelation came through a confession statement made by former Deputy Commissioner of Police P Radha Kishan Rao, as reported by news agency PTI.
P Radha Kishan Rao confession details
In his confession, Radha Kishan Rao, an accused in the phone-tapping case, revealed that KCR, indirectly referred to as 'Peddayana', sought the arrest of BJP National General Secretary B L Santhosh. The intention was to strengthen the poaching case against BJP and force a compromise to mitigate the ED case involving Kavitha.
"A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed, and KCR wanted the arrest of senior BJP leader Santhosh to make the case strong so that BJP would come for a compromise and it could be used to get rid of the ED case on his daughter MLC K Kavitha," the statement reads.
The plan reportedly failed due to the inefficiency of some police officials, resulting in a key individual escaping apprehension. The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the High Court.
Radha Kishan Rao's confession details KCR's frustration over the incomplete execution of the plan. The former DCP refrained from disclosing further details, citing personal loyalty to KCR, who had re-appointed him twice and assigned him to the Hyderabad City Task Force after his retirement in 2020.
Former DCP Radha Kishan Rao and K Kavitha's arrests
Radha Kishan Rao was arrested in March this year during the ongoing investigation into phone tapping and the destruction of computer systems and official data.
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Kavitha was arrested by the ED in March in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Poaching case investigation
The case initially emerged after then-BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy and three other legislators alleged an attempt to lure them into joining the BJP.
Three individuals—Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar, and Simhayaji Swamy—were arrested but later granted bail by the High Court.
According to the FIR, Reddy was offered Rs 100 crore to switch allegiance from BRS to BJP and contest in the subsequent Assembly election, with further incentives for bringing more BRS MLAs into the BJP fold.
Senior BRS leader and former MP Vinod Kumar denied all allegations made in the confessional statement.