Former Congress Whip in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Toorpu Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy was arrested in Hyderabad on Monday night in connection with a case of human trafficking.
Reddy was booked under the relevant section of IPC, and Passport and Immigration Acts for taking two women and a young man to the US with the help of fake documents. The allegation is that the then MLA created documents showing them as his family, dropped them in that country and returned alone.
According to DCP B Sumathi, action was initiated in connection with a case registered way back in 2004. “Jagga Reddy’s son Sai Bharat Reddy was only four years old at that time but the application at the passport office showed that his age mentioned as 17.
Daughter Jayalakshmi was born in 1997, but it was shown that she was born in 1987. Similarly, wife Nirmala’s date of birth was also mentioned wrongly in the passport,” the DCP told the media.
The police say that Reddy misused his power by drafting a letter to the Regional Passport Officer seeking passports for his family. He obtained passports in their names with fake documents and helped a Gujarati family to illegally enter the US.
The police also say that two more MLAs, Soyam Bapu Rao and Kasipeta Lingaiah, were also involved in similar human trafficking cases in 2004. Reddy was booked under IPC Sections 419, 490, 467, 468, 471 and 370 (Trafficking), Section 12 of Passport Act and Section 24 of Immigration Act.
Timing of arrest
Meanwhile, the Congress in Telangana cried foul, alleging that the TRS government is witch hunting by arresting a strong leader in a case that was booked some 14 years ago.
Telangana Congress chief Capt Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president Bhatti Vikramarka and Kodangal MLA Revanth Reddy went to the DGP’s residence at Kundanbagh and registered their protest.
The Sangareddy district Congress also gave a bandh call on Tuesday in the district.
“The timing shows everything. Reddy has been active in the preparations of our public meeting and also busy with Mrs Gandhi’s proposed visit to the state,” Capt Reddy said. He said the Congress will fight the false case.
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