ED questions BRS MLA who complained of 'poaching' bid, summons him again (Lead)

Hyderabad, Dec 19 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy for about six hours in connection with the alleged money laundering probe.

The central agency has summoned him again for questioning on Tuesday.

After coming out of the ED regional office here on Monday night, the MLA told reporters that there was still no clarity about the case in which he was summoned.

He said the ED officials collected personal details from him. "They also asked for details of my family members. I responded to all their questions. The ED has not yet given a clarity about the case in which they have summoned me," he said.

Rohith Reddy came to ED office around 3 p.m. after it turned down his request to give him time to furnish the information sought.

He said that since he is on 'Ayyappa deeksha', he sought time till December 31 but the ED officials did not agree. "As a law-abiding citizen I have come to the ED office and I will fully cooperate with the agency," he said.

Earlier, his personal assistant went to the ED's regional office on Monday morning and submitted a letter from the MLA seeking more time to appear.

The ED, in its notice served on December 15, had directed Rohith Reddy to appear along with details of bank accounts, financial transactions, and income tax returns.

Rohith Reddy earlier met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and is understood to have explained to him about the notices served on him. Rao is believed to have told him not to worry as it was expected from the central agencies since he was the complainant in MLAs' poaching case.

The MLA alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is using the ED, the CBI, and the Income Tax Department to harass BRS leaders.

The ED notice is reportedly for questioning him in alleged money laundering in the investigation related to a drugs case. He, however, dismissed the allegation by state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay that Karnataka Police served him notice in the drugs case.

The MLA from Tandur was the petitioner in the alleged conspiracy to poach BRS MLAs.

Acting on a tip-off by Rohith Reddy, police had arrested Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar, and Simhayaji Swamy from a farmhouse at Moinabad on October 26 when they were allegedly trying to lure four BRS MLAs to defect to the BJP.

Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs 50 crore each to other MLAs.

The Telangana government on November 9 constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

The three accused were granted bail by the Telangana High Court on December 1.