The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Hyderabad police investigating the TRS MLAs poaching case has issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) for Tushar Vellapally and Dr Jaggu Swamy after they failed to turn up for questioning. The SIT had issued a summons directing BL Santosh, Dr Jaggu Swamy and Tushar Vellapally to be present for interrogation on November 21, but none of them turned up.
According to sources, BL Santosh, who is the BJP’s General Secretary, had informed the SIT that he would be available for interrogation on a “mutually agreeable date” and not on November 21, as directed by the SIT in its summons. Hence, the SIT has not issued an LOC for him as yet. The SIT had sought legal opinion when all three of those summoned did not turn up for the interrogation.
TNM tried reaching out to Tushar Vellapally for a comment on the development but he was unavailable.
On November 19, the Telangana High Court dismissed a plea by the BJP to stay the notices issued to BL Santosh by the SIT.
Hearing the petition seeking stay of notice issued by the SIT under Section 41A of CrPC to Santhosh, the court said the BJP leader shall cooperate with the SIT authorities, while directing that he should not be arrested until further orders.
In the notice to Santhosh, served at the BJP's Karnataka headquarters at Malleswaram in Bengaluru, the investigating officer B Gangadhar cautioned the BJP leader that failure to appear before the SIT for interrogation could lead to his arrest as well.
"During the investigation, it is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation," the police officer said in his notice issued on November 16.
The BJP national general secretary (organisation) has been directed not to commit any offence in future and, no tampering with the evidence, threatening, inducing or promising anyone acquainted with the facts of the case. He has also been asked to appear before the court and join the investigation as and when required and cooperate with the investigation. Santhosh has also been restricted from travelling abroad without prior permission of the SIT.
A complaint was lodged by TRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, among four legislators, against three persons -- Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy -- on October 26.
As per the FIR copy, Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return the legislator had to leave the TRS and contest as a BJP candidate in the next Assembly election.
The Telangana government on November 9 ordered the setting up of a seven-member SIT to probe into the alleged poaching of the MLAs.