Court sends TDP legislator to two-day ACB custody

A city court on Wednesday sent Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator Sandra Venkata Veeraiah to two-day custody of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the cash-for-vote case.

The court directed the ACB to question him between 9 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on the first day and between 9 a.m. to 4.30 a.m. on the second day.

Though ACB sought his custody for five days, the court granted only two days custody.

The court adjourned to Thursday hearing on the legislator's bail petition. The ACB filed a counter, opposing the bail plea.

The court on Tuesday had sent Veeraiah to judicial custody for 14 days.

The ACB had arrested the lawmaker on Monday after questioning him for seven hours. He was included as the fifth accused in the case. It had conveyed to the court that there is a strong evidence of his involvement.

Veeraiah, who represents the Sattupalli assembly constituency in Telangana's Khammam, is the second TDP legislator to be arrested in the case.

TDP legislator Revanth Reddy was arrested by the ACB on May 31 while he was offering Rs.50 lakh as a bribe to nominated member Elvis Stephenson reportedly to induce him to vote for TDP-BJP candidate.

The ACB, which laid a trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested two aides of Revanth Reddy.

All the three were granted bail by the Hyderabad High Court last week.

ACB believes that Veeraiah was given the responsibility of bribing Stephenson.

The fourth accused, Jerusalem Mathaiah, is absconding and is believed to be hiding in Andhra Pradesh.