Intensifying its investigation in the cash-for-vote scam, Telangana's Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday questioned TDP leader V. Narender Reddy while nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson recorded his statement before a magistrate.
ACB officials questioned Narender Reddy for about six hours, before allowing him to go home in the evening. He told reporters that he was ready to fully cooperate in the investigation.
Narender Reddy, who was the TDP-BJP candidate in the Telangana legislative council elections, alleged that the case was booked under a political conspiracy by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, who was also summoned for interrogation, failed to turn up.
The ACB late on Tuesday served notice to both the TDP leaders. As Veeraiah was not available at his residence, the officials pasted the notice on the residence door.
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The ACB arrested TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy on May 31 while he was offering Rs.50 lakh to Stephenson to induce him to vote for Narender Reddy.
The ACB, which had laid the trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested Revanth Reddy's two aides Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha from a flat of Stephenson's relative in Secunderabad.
The ACB has already questioned the three accused with regard to the source of the Rs.50 lakh and also from where they planned to arrange the remaining Rs.4.5 crore as the deal was reportedly struck for Rs.5 crore.
The bureau called Narender Reddy and Veeraiah after analysing the call data of Revanth Reddy and two other accused.
In another key development, Stephenson recorded his statement in a court on Wednesday. His daughter Jessica and the flat owner also recorded their statements in the third metropolitan court at the Nampally court complex.
Police made tight security arrangements in and around the court complex. Stephenson represents the Anglo Indian community in the Telangana assembly.
The ACB is likely to proceed further in the case on the basis of information gathered during the questioning of Narender Reddy and the statements of Stephenson and others.
The bureau is also planning to issue notice to TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and two party MPs.
An audio tape of Chandrababu Naidu's alleged telephonic conversation with Stephenson surfaced on June 7. The TRS government has alleged that Naidu is the mastermind of the scam.
Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Sharma, ACB chief A.K. Khan and Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy on Wednesday met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
For the second consecutive day, the chief minister met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.
In another development, the Hyderabad High Court adjourned till June 24 the hearing on a bail petition of Revanth Reddy.
The Andhra Pradesh state cabinet also met in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The meeting presided over by Naidu is believed to have discussed the developments in the case.
The cabinet discussed the strategy to counter any attempt by the Telangana ACB to issue notice or include Naidu as an accused in the case.
