Hyderabad: Looking unperturbed over the Hyderabad court’s order seeking fresh investigation into the cash-for-vote case, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday there was nothing new in it. “What’s new? Nothing. My lawyer will look into it,” Chandrababu said here this evening when asked about the court’s order. He did not comment further as he left for Anantapuramu district.
The special court for Anti-Corruption Bureau cases in Hyderabad on Monday ordered a fresh investigation into the over a year old cash-for-vote case in response to a petition filed by YSR Congress MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy. The case had created enough political shocks for the Telugu Desam Party in Telangana last year with Naidu accusing the TRS Government of illegally tapping phones.
In May 2015, nominated MLA in Telangana Assembly Elvis Stephenson lodged a complaint alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by TDP MLA Revanth Reddy to vote for TDP nominee in the election to the Telangana Legislative Council on June 1. On May 31, ACB arrested Revanth Reddy, Bishop Sebastian Harry and Rudra Udaya Simha when they were allegedly handing over an advance sum of Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson.
A charge-sheet filed by the ACB on July 28 last year mentioned TDP chief Naidu’s name, but not as an accused. An audio tape of Naidu’s purported conversation with Stephenson over phone on May 30, a day before the ACB arrested Revanth, found its way to the media. Ramakrishna Reddy has submitted to the court a forensic lab report “confirming” that the voice in the tape was that of Chandrababu Naidu. The court has sought investigation report by September 29.