MLAs' poaching: SIT notice to Jaggu Swamy stayed, B L Santhosh extended

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday granted a stay on the 41A CrPC notice issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Kerala-based doctor Jaggu Swamy in the sensational TRS MLAs' poaching case. The court also extended the stay given on the SIT notice issued to another suspect B L Santhosh under the same section.

Jaggu Swamy is one of the wanted persons in the case which prompted the SIT to serve the notice on him for questioning. The Telangana High Court granted the stay on a petition filed on behalf of Jaggu Swamy challenging the issuance of notice under the CrPC section.

The High Court granted the stay until December 13 while also adjourning the hearing till the same date. Also hearing a similar petition challenging the 41A CrPC notice by the SIT to another suspect B L Santhosh, the High Court extended an earlier stay till December 13. The hearing on the petition filed on behalf of the BJP leader was also adjourned to December 13.

The names of BJP National Secretary B L Santhosh and Jaggu Swamy cropped up frequently in the video and audio clips that surfaced from the sensational poaching scandal. Three accused – Ramachandra Bharathi alias Satish Sharma, Simhayaji and Nandu Kumar – were caught in a Cyberabad Police operation at a Moinabad farmhouse on the night of October 26. They were allegedly brokering a deal with four TRS MLAs to resign and join the BJP and eventually help bring down the State Government.

The SIT issued notices to B L Santhosh and Jaggu Swamy, among others, for questioning on their suspected involvement in the conspiracy.