BJP moves Telangana High Court seeking transfer of TRS MLAs' poaching case to CBI

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 27 : Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday approached the High Court seeking the transfer of a case pertaining to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs' poaching allegations against the party, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to carry out a fair probe into the matter.
In a writ petition filed by BJP State General Secretary Gujjula Premendar Reddy, he claimed that the "bias and unfair investigation" being carried out is with a "sole intention to frame the leaders" of his party.
This comes a day after the TRS alleged that the BJP is attempting to poach the MLAs luring them with money and contracts. The Telangana Police arrested three persons who were found at the farmhouse in Ranga Reddy on Wednesday evening, after being informed by the TRS MLAs about the poaching bid, which the leaders alleged belonged to the BJP. The three accused were identified as Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy.
The BJP has moved to the Telangana High Court seeking a CBI probe into the allegations.
"The above writ petition is filed complaining of bias and unfair investigation being carried upon by the respondents in FIR.No.455/2022 on the file of Moinabad PS with a sole intention to frame the leaders of the petitioner political party and damage its reputation at the instance of the ruling party dispensation as being illegal, arbitrary and in gross violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India and also contrary to settled principles of free and fair investigation," the petition said.
The BJP linked the poaching allegations to the upcoming Munugude by-polls that are slated to be held on November 3, and said that the TRS has been "trying to disrupt the campaign" of the BJP while also making "several efforts to thwart the campaigning in the constituency".
Calling the complaint "politically motivated", the petition stated that it has been made with a motive to "defame and demoralise" the BJP in the by-election of the Munugode Assembly constituency.
The petition alleged that the complaint was lodged at the behest of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other state ministers and senior leaders of the TRS Party.
"The true facts and motive behind the above lodging complaint can only be unearthed by the conducting an enquiry by CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) as constituted by this Hon'ble court and in failing to do so, the petitioner party would suffer irreparable loss and hardship and would also impact on the mandate of the people in the ensuing by-election at Munugode Assembly," the petition stated.
Earlier today, rejecting the charge that his party was trying to poach Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLAs, Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Bandi Sanjay said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has scripted the raids at a farmhouse and demanded a probe by a sitting judge.
The BJP chief said that if KCR is not responsible for this then he should come to Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and swear on God.
"Story-Screenplay-Direction by CM KCR at Moinabad Farmhouse Boomeranged and is laughable. It's TRS' farmhouse, TRS complained, TRS are victims, TRS are criminals. KCR if u haven't scripted this, come to Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and swear on God - You fix time and date," said Sanjay.
Meanwhile, following a complaint of TRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy on Wednesday, an FIR was registered at the Moinabad Police Station under Sections 120-B, 171-B r/w 171-E 506 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act-1988,
The three accused have been identified as Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy.
In the FIR, Reddy alleged that Ramachandra Bharati who came to Hyderbad from Delhi and Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad, both belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party had met him and offered him Rs 100 crore to join the BJP.
"Ramachandra Bharati of Delhi and Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad, both belonging to the BJP, met the complainant and negotiated with him to not to contest as a candidate from the TRS party and to join in BJP by resigning from TRS party and to contest in the next elections from BJP for which they offered him an amount of Rs 100 crore and also offered to give central government civil contract works and other high central government positions for monetary benefits and lured him to join the BJP," the FIR reads.
According to the FIR, MLA Rohith Reddy also alleged that they were threatened that criminal cases will be foisted against him and raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if they did not join the BJP.