Telangana GST teams search BJP leader Rajagopal Reddy's Sushee infra at Banjara Hills

Hyderabad: Over 40 sleuths from Telangana state Goods and Service Tax are carrying out searches at Sushee Infra and Mining Limited owned by former Congress Munugode MLA and now BJP leader Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. The searches reportedly began at 11.30 a.m at the firm's Banjara Hills office, an employee confirmed to NewsMeter.

It should be noted that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy's family business, Sushee Infrastructure, was in the news for bagging a whopping Rs. 18,000 crores civil contractor from the Central government. Ahead of the Munugode by-polls, the TRS went all guns against this contract claiming that it was the reason why Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy quit the Congress party and joined BJP.

Amidst many allegations, during the Munugode by-polls the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notice to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy for allegedly transferring Rs. 5.24 crores to induce voters in the Munugode Assembly constituency.

The notice was issued after TRS general secretary Soma Bharath Kumar approached the ECI alleging the transfer of Rs. 5.24 crores from Mr. Reddy's family-owned firm Sushee Infra and Mining Limited to 23 different persons and companies in the Munugode constituency. The TRS alleged that this money was used for voter inducement.

Further, ECI said if the money was used for voter inducement, it falls under corrupt practices and is a violation of the moral code of conduct (MCC) followed during elections. "As a transferrer, if done by you or under your direction by a family-owned company as alleged, it is a duty cast on you to ensure that this fund transferred to 23 different bank accounts are not used for voter inducement as alleged, which is a corrupt practice," the ECI said in a notice.

ECI had asked Mr. Rajagopal Reddy to clarify all aspects regarding the alleged transaction on or before 4 p.m on 31 October.