BRS MLA seeks more time to appear before ED

Hyderabad, Dec 19: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy on Monday sought more time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering probe but the central agency is reported to have rejected his request.

The MLA from Tandur is likely to appear before the ED officials in Hyderabad later in the day.

Rohith Reddy's personal assistant went to the ED's regional office on Monday morning and submitted a letter from the MLA seeking more time to appear.

The ED, in its notice served on December 15, had directed Rohith Reddy to appear on December 19 at 10.30 a.m., along with documents detailing his bank accounts, financial transactions and Income Tax returns.

The MLA conveyed to the agency that he needs time to put together the information sought by the agency and requested a week's time.

However, the ED officials made it clear that he has to personally appear on Monday.

Rohith Reddy on Sunday met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and is understood to have explained to him about the notices served on him.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, is believed to have told him not to worry as it was expected from the central agencies since he was the complainant in MLAs' poaching case.

The MLA alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is using the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department to harass BRS leaders.

The ED notice is reportedly for questioning him in alleged money laundering in the investigation related to a drugs case. He, however, dismissed the allegation by state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay that Karnataka Police served him the notice in drugs case.

The MLA from Tandur was the petitioner in the alleged conspiracy to poach BRS MLAs.

Acting on a tip-off by Rohit Reddy, police had arrested Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy from a farmhouse at Moinabad on October 26 when they were allegedly trying to lure four BRS MLAs to defect to the BJP.

Rohith Reddy alleged that the accused offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs 50 crore each to other MLAs.

The Telangana government on November 9 constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.

The three accused were granted bail by the Telangana High Court on December 1.