Investigations in cash-for-vote scam to go as per law: TRS MP

Hyderabad: In the wake of an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) courts directive to Telangana ACB to probe the allegations against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case, TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha today said the “investigations will go as per procedure and law”.

“Mr Chandrababu Naidus issue…ACB court has been informed by Telangana ACB that they are already investigating the case and (the Bureau will) certainly follow whatever procedure needs to be followed,” Kavitha told reporters here.
“In our country the law is supreme and is above all… if anybody is a culprit they will certainly be brought to justice … Investigation is on. I cannot comment much on this. But, certainly the ACB has done a good job by exposing it (cash-for-vote scam) and the whole country was in shock when this incident happened. Investigations will go as per procedure and law,” she said.

Based on a private complaint filed by YSR Congress MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy in which he accused Naidu as the main conspirator in the case, the ACB court on August 29 directed the anti-graft agency to probe the allegations levelled against the AP CM and submit a report on its investigations before September 29.

ACB yesterday informed the court that it is already investigating the case and there was no need to issue a separate FIR.

In May last year, Telangana nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint with ACB alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy to vote in favour of a Telugu Desam MLC nominee in Telangana Legislative Council polls held on 1 June.

Stephenson represents Anglo-Indian community in Telangana Legislative Assembly. A case was subsequently registered and on May 31, ACB arrested Revanth Reddy along with two others Bishop Sebastian Harry and Rudra Udaya Simha while they were allegedly handing over an advance of Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson.

TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah was also arrested in the case later. All of them were later granted bail. PTI