Police foil alleged attempt to buy four TRS legislators

HYDERABAD: Cyberabad police on Wednesday claimed that they had arrested three persons, including a Delhi-based swamiji, at a farmhouse in Moinabad for allegedly offering Rs 15 crore as an advance to four TRS legislators to leave the party.

Police said that they had seized Rs 15 crore cash in denominations of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 from a car (TS07HM2777), which is registered in the name of Gandhavaram Dileep Kumar.

Cyberabad police commissioner Stephen Raveendra said that they had a tip-off that Ramachandra Bharathi Swami from Delhi, Simhayulu from Tirupati and businessman Nanda Kumar had conspired to influence four MLAs from the ruling party, Guvvala Balraj, Pilot Rohit Reddy, B. Harshvardhan Reddy and Rega Kantharao.

“Bharathi and others urged the MLAs to rebel against the ruling party in lieu of massive cash rewards.  The swamiji also offered contract works to them. On getting information, we formed teams, which raided the farmhouse in Moinabad police limits,” Raveendra said.

The farmhouse belongs to the businessman Nandakumar. When the three were offering money, the police caught them red-handed and seized the cash and the car in which the amount was transported. “We will investigate the case thoroughly to find out the origin of the cash and who all were involved in the case,” he said.