HC lifts stay on Telangana police probe in 'TRS MLAs poaching' case

The court will further hear the case including the BJP petition for CBI investigation on November 18

The Telangana high court, on Tuesday, vacated the stay it had earlier imposed on the Cyberabad police probe in the alleged bribing of four TRS MLAs to encourage their defection to the BJP.

The court, which has reportedly asked the police to submit the investigation status report, will further hear the case including the BJP petition for a CBI investigation on November 18.

With the fresh orders, the state police are expected to speed up the investigation into the allegations that the “three BJP agents” attempted to buy the MLAs to destabilize the K Chandrasekhar Rao government. The accusation assumed more significance in the context of the Munugode bypoll, claimed by the ruling TRS on Sunday.

The police can now seek the custody of Ramachandra Bharati (a native of Delhi), DPSKVN Simhayaji (from Tirupati) and Nandu Kumar (from Hyderabad) who are in judicial remand in Hyderabad.

The chief minister himself, in a press conference, claimed that the three middlemen came to his state with a plan of toppling his government. Accusing the BJP leaders of being behind the conspiracy, KCR said their agenda includes three more states - Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The three men – two seers and a businessman – were arrested from a farmhouse near Hyderabad on October 26, when they were holding discussions with four TRS MLAs - Guvvala Balaraju, Rega Kantha Rao, Harshvardhan Reddy and Rohith Reddy.

On October 29, the high court, hearing a BJP petition seeking either CBI or a sitting judge probe in the case, had put a stay on the Telangana police probe.