Moinabad farmhouse drug bust: Ex-BRS MLA Rohit Reddy, 2 others sent to judicial custody

Hyderabad: Former BRS MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and two others have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by a magistrate in connection with the Moinabad farmhouse drugs case.

They were arrested after the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Force raided the farmhouse.

Police produced Rohit Reddy, his brother Ritesh Reddy, and Delhi-based businessman Namith Sharma before a magistrate at Upperpally late on Sunday night. After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, the magistrate ordered that the three accused be sent to judicial custody.

EAGLE force raid at Moinabad farmhouse

On March 14, the EAGLE Force conducted a raid at a farmhouse belonging to Rohit Reddy at Moinabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Acting on specific information, officials raided the farmhouse where several individuals had allegedly gathered for a party involving narcotic and psychotropic substances along with large quantities of liquor.

A total of 11 persons, including a woman, who were present at the farmhouse during the raid, were detained by the police for questioning.

Drug tests and bail for MP Putta Mahesh

According to officials, six of those detained tested positive for drugs, including Rohit Reddy and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Putta Mahesh Kumar from Eluru in Andhra Pradesh.

However, Putta Mahesh Kumar and seven other accused were released on station bail on Sunday after police served them notices as part of the investigation.

Rohit Reddy and two others were later produced before the magistrate, leading to their remand to judicial custody.

Businessman allegedly opened fire during raid

Police said Namith Sharma allegedly opened fire with a revolver during the raid. The weapon used in the firing was reportedly a licensed revolver belonging to Ritesh Reddy.

During the operation, officials seized a .32 calibre revolver (made in Germany) along with live and empty cartridges from Namith Sharma.

Another accused, Silveri Sharath Kumar, was allegedly found holding empty cartridge cases.

Drugs and liquor seized

During the search at the farmhouse, officials recovered 0.26 grams of cocaine from Sharath Kumar. According to police, he allegedly confessed to procuring the drug through Kaushik Ravi.

Authorities also seized large quantities of liquor, including beer, whisky, vodka, and several premium brands from the premises.

Multiple cases registered

A case has been registered at Moinabad Police Station under several provisions of law, including:

Sections 8(C), 22(A), 27 and 29 of the NDPS Act

Sections 25(1-B)(a) and 30 of the Arms Act

Section 34(a) of the Telangana State Excise Act

Sections 109 and 131 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)

Police said further investigation is underway to determine the source of the drugs and the role of other individuals involved in the party.