BRS MLA poaching: Telangana HC quashes state plea, paves way for CBI probe

In a move that will herald a CBI probe, the Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by the state government, which wanted an investigation by the state police into the case of alleged poaching of four BRS MLAs to continue.

The bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji also refused to stay the operation of its judgement when Advocate General BS Prasad requested that the state be allowed to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

The scandal erupted in October when the police arrested three persons who were accused of trying to bribe four MLAs from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) with large sums of money and government contracts.

Allegation

One of the MLAs who was approached, Pilot Rohith Reddy, alleged that he was asked to resign from the BRS and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Also read: TRS MLAs’ poaching case: Legislators complain of receiving threat calls

Reddy also said the accused persons threatened to foist criminal cases on him if he did not agree to their proposal.

The Supreme Court earlier told the high court to consider a writ petition filed by the three accused — Ramachandra Bharti, Kore Nandu Kumar, and DPSKVN Simhayaji — seeking that the probe be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

(With agency inputs)