Operation Akarsh: Eluding evidence

Hyderabad: A day after the high drama that took place on Wednesday evening at a farmhouse in Moinabad where it was alleged that the BJP had resorted to 'Operation Akarsh', the police is yet to get concrete evidence in the case, according to Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra.

After interrogating the three accused, Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji for about 24 hours, the police produced them before the ACB judge at his Saroornagar house. The police sought the custody of the three accused. But the judge rejected the plea due to the lack of evidence against the accused.

The Cyberabad police have filed an FIR against the trio. As per the FIR, Rohith Reddy had alleged that the accused offered him Rs 100 crore and in return the legislator had to quit the TRS and contest as a BJP candidate in the next Assembly elections. They also offered him civil contract works from the Central government besides higher positions and monetary benefits.

The accused also threatened that if he does not heed to their proposition, ED and CBI cases will be foisted against him. They also warned that the TRS government in the state will be toppled. They also asked Reddy to bring some more TRS MLAs by offering Rs 50 crore each to join the BJP. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the prime suspect Nanda Kumar contacted the four TRS MLAs from an unknown phone. He also tried to get the four TRS MLAs to speak to an influential leader in the Centre. This information the police had given on Wednesday as well. Police officials said that special teams were busy analysing the CC footage with the help of forensic officials.

The cell phones of the accused have been seized and that their call data was under scrutiny to find out with whom they were in touch before the meeting. The allegation was that they were in touch with the BJP leaders. It is learnt that one of the arrested persons used 'bodycam' to record the entire deliberations with the TRS MLAs. All these evidences, police said, will be used to establish the role of the arrested persons in the poaching of the MLAs.