Raising speculations of political vendetta against former Health Minister Eatala Rajender ahead of the Huzurabad bye-polls, the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday, June 3, carried out searches at the office of All India Industrial Exhibition (AIIE) Society at Nampally in Hyderabad for alleged irregularities. The search was conducted on charges of alleged irregularities in the allotment of shops during the annual All India Industrial Exhibition (Numaish) and misappropriation of funds.
The search was sensationalized and assumes political significance as Eatala Rajender, who was removed from Telangana’s Cabinet of Ministers — forcing him to join the rival BJP — was holding the office of president of the society for the last six years until recently. After ending his association with the TRS, Eatala quit the president post last month. Eatala became the Society’s president in 2014.
ACB officers questioned office bearers and staff of the society on transactions and examined their records. According to reports, the search was conducted based on a complaint alleging irregularities under Eatala’s tenure as the chief of the Exhibition Society.
“The complainant alleged that during the past few years, misuse of society funds and administrative powers took place in Exhibition Society. It was alleged that funds were misused and several people were given membership in violation of administrative powers,” ACB DSP K Srikanth was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
The Hindu reported that the Society’s office bearers told the media that Eatala Rajender had nothing to do with the raid. They denied any irregularities in the transactions and claimed that the activities of the society were transparent.
The AIIE conducts an annual trade fair, also known as Numaish, in which traders from several states set their stalls to sell their goods which includes clothes, home essentials, food, and other accessories. The fair happens for over a month.
Due to the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, the fair supposed to be held in December last year was cancelled.
The Huzurabad constituency will soon go for a bye-poll as Eatala Rajender, the incumbent legislator quit his MLA post after resigning from the TRS. The bye-poll will see an intense battle between the BJP and the TRS.