KCR planned BJP leader's arrest in poaching case to resolve ED probe against daughter Kavitha, confesses ex-cop

Former Deputy Commissioner of Police P Radha Kishan Rao, accused in the phone-tapping case, has said in his confession statement that former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao allegedly sought to leverage the alleged BRS MLAs poaching case against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to resolve a money laundering investigation involving his daughter, K Kavitha.

K Kavitha has been lodged in Tihar jail since March 27, after she was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 15 on money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

According to the confession statement by the former police official, KCR reportedly wanted to use the BRS MLAs poaching case as bait to arrest BJP National General Secretary, Organisation, BL Santhosh, to force the saffron party into a compromise to get rid of the ED case against his daughter, Kavitha.

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The confession stated: “A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed, and, KCR wanted the arrest of senior BJP leader Santhosh to make the case strong so that BJP would come for compromise and it could be used to get rid of the ED case on his daughter, MLC K Kavitha. However, due to the inefficiency of some Cyberabad police officials, one important person escaped police apprehension, and later, the case went to the High Court where orders not to arrest were issued and then the SIT case was transferred to CBI."

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'Peddayana' – an indirect reference to Chandrasekhar Rao – was “very angry" when the work was not done as per his expectations, according to the former police official.

Radha Kishan Rao has also confessed to tapping the phones of some officers during the BRS government in the state, an Indian Express report mentioned. The ex-cop confessed that the surveillance was done on the directions of SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, the report said.

And who were put under extensive surveillance? Some officers in the Telangana Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), persons who spoke against KCR, and anyone thought to be a threat to the BRS government were kept under watch.

THE CASE AGAINST K KAVITHA AND BRS MLAs POACHING CASE

In March, the ED arrested K Kavitha in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi's excise policy.

The Telangana High Court had earlier transferred the investigation into the alleged attempt to poach BRS MLAs from the SIT formed by the Telangana government to the CBI.

Three people, Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nandu Kumar and Simhayaji Swamy, were named as accused (A1 to A3) in the case after a complaint was lodged by then BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, among four legislators, against them on October 26, 2022. The trio was arrested while they were allegedly trying to lure four MLAs of the ruling BRS to join the BJP. Subsequently, they were granted bail by the High Court.

According to the FIR, Rohith Reddy alleged that he was offered ₹100 crore on the condition that he leave the TRS (now BRS) and contest as a BJP candidate in the Telangana Assembly election last year.

(With agency inputs)

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