Cash-for-vote: ACB court asks TDP MLA, 2 others to appear on

An Anti-Corruption Bureau court (ACB) here today issued summons to Telangana TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy and two others in a cash-for-vote case, directing them to appear before it on September 29.
Taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Telangana ACB on July 28 last year, the court summoned Reddy, Bishop Sebastian Harry and Rudra Udaya Simha, seeking their appearance.
The charge sheet has named Reddy, Harry, Simha and Mathaiah Jerusalem, all booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC in connection with the case.
The Hyderabad High Court had earlier quashed an FIR against Mathaiah, which was challenged in the Supreme Court by the ACB.

The ACB today filed a memo in court following the court's directive on August 29 to investigate all allegations made in a complaint filed by YSR Congress MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu regarding the case.
The bureau told the court that it was already investigating the case and there was no need to file a separate FIR.

"The matter is still under investigation for collection of evidence. As and when the investigation is completed, a supplementary charge sheet will be filed before the court. The transaction (is) the subject matter of probe by ACB Telangana and the subject matter in the complaint filed by Alla Ramakrishna Reddy are one and the same and the same is under investigation," the memo said.

"It is to further submit that ACB Telangana is conducting investigation in the case and is probing the role of all the persons involved in the crime," it said.
In his complaint, Ramakrishna Reddy has alleged that Naidu was the main conspirator in the case.
The court had subsequently directed ACB to probe all allegations levelled against the AP CM and submit a report before September 29.
The charge sheet had mentioned Naidu's name, but not as an accused.
An audio tape of Naidu's purported conversation with
Stephenson over phone on May 30, a day before the ACB arrested Revanth, found its way to the media.

In his plaint, Ramakrishna Reddy had alleged that Naidu was involved in a criminal conspiracy with Revanth and others to offer the bribe to secure the vote of Stephenson, who represents Anglo-Indian community in Telangana Assembly.
A case was subsequently registered and the ACB arrested Revanth along with Harry and Simha on May 31 when they were allegedly handing over an advance of Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson.
TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah was also arrested later.
All of them were subsequently granted bail.