Police quiz two YSRC MLAs in betting case

Nellore: Nellore city MLA of YSRCP P Anil Kumar Yadav alleged that the TDP government had targeted them for political reasons while letting off five cricket betting bookies of the TDP.

Highlights:

• The legislators accuse the govt is targeting them for opposition MLAs while letting off TDP supporters involved in betting
• Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy warns of launching agitation if they are harassed in the name of betting scam

“Five cricket bookies who are followers of TDP legislators were untouched. But district police served notices to only YSR Congress Party MLAs. Is this not political vendetta?” said the legislator who was one of the two YSRCP MLAs quizzed over cricket betting by district police on Tuesday. The other one is Nellore rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy.

The district police served notices to the city and rural legislators asking for their evidence regarding betting case being investigated by police. The two MLAs visited the district police office on Tuesday and police, after grilling them for three hours, asked them to visit the office again on August 27.

Police officials, led by additional SP B Sarath Babu, first questioned rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy from 11 am to 2.10 pm. Sridhar Reddy later told the media that several questions were asked by the district police who suspected him having links with cricket bookies. “Police asked about my relations with international cricket bookie Krishna Singh. They questioned whether I had any contacts with him on a regular basis or any cash transactions with him. They asked about ties with Leburi Sridhar Reddy (LSR),” said Sridhar Reddy. Leburu is one of the accused in the sensational betting case.

He also said that police questioned about expenditure for conducting camp in Goa during mayor elections in 2014. They asked whether the camp expenses were borne by Krishna Singh or he donated any cash at that time, he added. The MLA said he told the police that Abdul Aziz, who was an industrialist had borne the expenses for the camp in Goa during mayor elections.

“Police read out a list of politicians and asked me to explain who visits LSR’s office. I replied that only some politicians, including former legislators Anam Vivekananda Reddy, Mungamuru Sridhara Krishna Reddy used to visit LSR’s office occasionally,” he said.

NUDA chairman Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy, chairman of the District Central Library Kilaru Venkata Swamy Naidu, Vijaya Dairy chairman K Ranga Reddy, Y V Ramireddy also regularly visit LSR’s office,” said Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy.

Saying that they would support the investigation, Sridhar Reddy warned that they would launch an agitation if the
government tries to harass the leaders from the opposition and target them in the betting case.

‘The district SP PHD Ramakrishna had announced earlier that there has been no involvement of MLAs, MLCs and ministers in the cricket betting case on many occasions on August 3, 14 and 18,” he said. City MLA Anil Kumar Yadav, was questioned by a team of police from 12 noon to 3.15 pm.

He told the media later that he told the police that had no ties at all with any cricket bookie. Majority of the victims who had lost their assets and cash through cricket betting belong to YSRC, he added. He also explained that very few punters belong to the YSRC. Anil said that they would cooperate with the investigation and would again attend the questioning on August 27.