ED recording Nandu Kumar's statement to implicate me: Pilot Rohith Reddy

HYDERABAD: BRS MLA from Tandur Pilot Rohith Reddy on Sunday alleged that the BJP was using the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to trouble him and his family. He claimed to be having information about a plot to portray him as a culprit by using the statement of Nandu Kumar, one of the accused in the BRS MLAs' poaching case. He said that he would be approaching the Telangana High Court with a writ petition on Monday against this conspiracy.

Addressing the media here, he vowed not to step back and that he could not be forced into submission even if he was arrested and cases were foisted against him. He accused the BJP of going berserk by using ED, IT and the CBI as a 'trishul'.

Pilot Rohith Reddy claimed that he and his family were being harassed in the name of cases as he was instrumental in exposing 'pseudo swamis' and their conspiracy to poach the BRS MLAs. Stating that he was summoned by the ED for questioning solely for this reason, he claimed that the agency had only asked him about his personal and business details.

"Since it could not find anything, the ED is now preparing to record the statement of Nandu Kumar. The plan behind this move is to extract Nandu Kumar's statement to implicate and portray me as a culprit in the case," the Tandur MLA alleged.

Stating that he would not be cowed down under duress, he revealed that a writ petition was going to be filed in the Telangana High Court on Monday in this regard. The Tandur MLA claimed that the BJP could not ruffle any feathers in Telangana after bringing down governments in eight states and that the saffron party was unable to digest this fact.

"I won't let anyone force me into submission and surrender even if I'm arrested and besieged with cases," Pilot Rohith Reddy asserted.

"Why has the ED taken up the case even when it does not come under its jurisdiction? Why was I summoned when there was no money-laundering involved? And more importantly, why are B L Santhosh and Thushar Vellappally dodging the SIT questioning if they are clean and not committed any sins?," Pilot Rohit Reddy questioned.

The Tandur MLA's comments and accusations assumed significance in the wake of a Nampally court in Hyderabad giving permission to the ED to record the statement of Nandu Kumar, one of the accused in the BRS MLAs' poaching scandal, in connection with a money-laundering case registered by the agency.