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TDP MLA gets bail to attend daughter’s engagement

Court warns cash-for-vote accused Revanth not to discuss case while on bail

Hyderabad — The Special Court for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases in Hyderabad on Wednesday granted a 12-hour interim bail to Telangana Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator A Revanth Reddy, the main accused in the cash-for-vote scam, to participate in his daughter’s engagement function slated for Thursday.

The court, while granting the interim bail, laid down several conditions including police escort throughout the period that Revanth Reddy would be out between 6am and 6pm. The court also directed that the legislator should not interact with the media, nor hold meetings with politicians or discuss matters relating to the case with anyone. ACB officials and intelligence officers in plainclothes will be around him constantly to monitor his movements.

Significantly, all the ministers of the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet reportedly decided to attend the engagement ceremony of Revanth Reddy’s daughter in a show of solidarity. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Naidu on Tuesday night to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, in a development that could further heighten the tension between the two state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the ACB, sources said, is likely to file a petition in court to allow matching the voice samples of Naidu with that in the audio tape aired by some TV channels last weekend. The voice in the tape purported to be that of the AP chief minister clearly assures Stephenson of “honoring all commitments.”  

This move, besides others like sending notices to Naidu to record his statement, came up for discussion when ACB Director General A K Khan, Hyderabad police commissioner M Mahendar Reddy and State Intelligence chief B Shivdhar Reddy met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to discuss the progress in the cash-for-vote scam.

The AP chief minister, meanwhile, is in New Delhi to bring pressure on the BJP-led NDA government, of which the TDP is an ally, to strictly implement Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act which deals with the status of Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 years. Naidu, who is expected to meet Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, is also likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening.

AP Finance Minister Yenamala Ramakrishnudu, speaking to the media, said: “The Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary would meet the Union Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and other top officials and hand over a representation urging them to issue rules concerning Section 8 of the Act, which states that the Governor will be responsible for the law and order in Hyderabad. Since Governor E S L Narasimhan has not exercised his powers, we will seek the Centre’s intervention in this regard.”

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