Court orders CBI probe into assets of TRS chief, Vijayashanti

A special court Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the assets of TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao, his nephew and party leader T. Harish Rao and Medak MP M. Vijayashanti.

The Principal Special Court for CBI cases directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the CBI here to register a First Information Report (FIR) and conduct the probe.

Judge N. Balayogi issued the orders after hearing a petition filed by advocate V. Balaji seeking a probe into the allegedly disproportionate assets of the three leaders.

Actress-turned-politician Vijayashanti recently quit the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and joined the Congress party. She is now contesting the election from Medak assembly constituency.

Balayogi, in his petition, alleged that the TRS leaders amassed huge wealth since 2001 in the name of the agitation for a separate Telangana state.

The Hyderabad office of the CBI forwarded the court orders to its headquarters for further action. Sources in the central agency said the CBI court is not competent to order the CBI probe. According to them, only high courts and the Supreme Court can order such a probe.

Meanwhile, TRS chief Chandrasekhara Rao said he welcomed the CBI probe. Addressing an election meeting at Mahabubnagar, he termed it as a conspiracy by the Congress.

His nephew Harish Rao alleged that the Congress is trying to target the TRS for refusing to merge or even have an alliance with it.

"The Congress always misused the CBI against opposition parties. It has again done the same thing a few days before the elections. We will not be cowed down by this," said Harish Rao.

Confident that the TRS will form the government in Telangana, the TRS leader said all those involved in corruption during Telugu Desam and Congress rule will be sent to jail.

Simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections are scheduled in Telangana April 30.