TDP MP, ex-BRS MLA test positive for drugs

Hyderabad: Eleven persons, including a Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh and a former MLA from Telangana, were detained after they reportedly tested positive for drugs that were found during a raid at a farmhouse in Moinabad on Saturday night.

During the raid, sleuths of the Telangana police’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE), reportedly seized about two grams of cocaine.

Significantly, those detained included Putta Mahesh Kumar (MP from Eluru, AP representing the Telugu Desam Party), Panjugula Rohith Reddy (Pilot Rohith Reddy), former MLA and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader.

Later, the police granted station bail to Mahesh Kumar. Police cited the ongoing Parliament session while granting the bail. He was quietly moved out through the backdoor to avoid exposure to the media.

Police records suggest that former pilot Rohith Reddy has been named as Accused (A2), while TDP MP has been listed as Accused (A7) in the case. The other detained persons were Namith Sharma (associated with a construction company and residing in Delhi), Panjugula Ritesh Reddy (brother of Rohith Reddy), Koushik Ravi (an advocate from Gachibowli), Silveri Sharath Kumar (a private firm employee from Manikonda), Tiruveedula Arjun Reddy (a businessman from Nanakramguda), Moravineni Ramesh (a real estate businessman from Manikonda), Varamachaneni Sravan Kumar (a private employee from Manikonda), Nallapaneni Vijaya Krishna (a real estate businessman from Nanakramguda) and R Priyanka Reddy, resident of Himayathnagar.

A case has been registered U/s 8(c), 22(A), 27, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), Sec 25(1B)(a), 30 of Arms act, 34(a) The Telangana Excise Act, 1968 TSEA act & Sec 109, 131 r/w 3(5) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.

According to police, 10 men and one woman were present at the farmhouse when the team arrived at about 9.30 pm following a tip-off about a gathering involving narcotics. Those present included Rohit Reddy, and MP Mahesh Kumar.

During the raid, officials recovered about two grams of cocaine along with a .32 bore revolver and empty cartridge cases and other material from the farmhouse. Police said the seizure was made while teams were conducting searches inside the property as part of the anti-narcotics operation.

Chevella DCP Yogesh Gautam said that tensions escalated when the police entered the farmhouse to conduct the raid. “Five people tested positive in the drug test - Rohit Reddy, Namith Sharma, Ritesh Reddy, Koushik Ravi, and Arjun Reddy,” the DCP said.”

The DCP said during the raid, Namit Sharma, allegedly fired a round from a gun during the commotion. The firearm used in the incident belongs to Ritesh Reddy, the younger brother of Pilot Rohith Reddy, and is licenced.

According to the FIR, Koushik Ravi admitted during questioning that he had procured the cocaine during a business trip to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh from an unidentified person and brought it to Hyderabad for the party.

The Clues team conducted urine drug tests on several persons present at the farmhouse. The tests reportedly showed positive results for drug consumption in multiple individuals, including Rohith Reddy and others. Police officials said the results were confirmed after medical screening.

Interestingly, officials revealed that the first test conducted on Saturday showed negative results for MP Putta Mahesh. However, a second test conducted on Sunday returned a positive result.

Further investigation into the incident is underway. Police said they are also probing whether similar parties were organised at the farmhouse earlier.