Trouble in air for TPCC chief as cash-for-vote' case resurrects

HYDERABAD: In a significant development, the state government has handpicked police officers to monitor the ‘cash-for-vote’ case in which state Congress president A. Revanth Reddy is one of the accused.

The officials working in various departments will be transferred to Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). The ‘cash-for-vote case was registered by the ACB and is being investigated.

Sources said the government had collected details of the investigation officer (IO) and other officials who worked with the ACB when the case was registered in 2015, in order to tighten the noose around Revanth Reddy.

These officers were later transferred to other wings of the city police.
A review meeting was conducted on ACB cases including ‘cash-for-vote case and their legal proceedings a few days ago. Citing that the video footage of ‘cash-for-vote case was proved genuine by the forensic laboratory, the officials felt in the review meeting that the status of regular legal proceedings to be monitored by senior officials.

Senior IPS officer Govind Singh, additional DGP of CID, is holding additional charge as chief of the ACB. The government is likely to appoint a senior IPS officer as the agency's director-general to control corruption in government departments, especially revenue, and to slow down Revanth Reddy by speeding up legal proceedings before the court in the ‘cash-for-vote’ case, it is learnt.

In 2015, the ACB registered cases against Revanth Reddy and others for offering a bribe to nominated MLC Elvis Stephenson, seeking support for the Telugu Desam candidate in the Legislative Council elections. The episode of offering bribes was recorded and the footage was aired.