Vote For Note Case: ED Files Chargesheet, Revanth Reddy is Prime Accused

HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against Telangana Congress MP  from MalkajgiriA Revanth Reddy as the prime accused along with TRS MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, Harry Sebastian, Rudra Sivakumar Uday Simha, Mathaiah Jerusalem and Vem Krishna Keerthan in the 2015 alleged cash-for-vote scam after 7 years of investigation.

The central probe agency said in a statement here that a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Hyderabad's Nampally.

The agency claimed its probe has established that the accused "committed the scheduled offence as well as the offence of money laundering by dealing with the bribe money which is nothing but proceeds of crime as per the PMLA." The ED has filed a prosecution complaint against the above named accused persons with a prayer to hold a trial for the offence of money laundering, it said.

It may be recollected that in 2015 the state anti-corruption bureau caught them while they were making a bribe payment of Rs 50 lakh in cash to Elvis Stephenson (a nominated MLA representing the Anglo-Indian community in the Telangana Assembly) to lure him to either abstain from voting or cast his franchise in favour of TDP candidate Vem Narendra Reddy in the MLC election, which was to be held on June 1, 2015

ED investigation has established that Anumula Revanth Reddy, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and others had conspired to bribe Elvis Stephenson for securing his vote in favour of Vem Narender Reddy. The accused had contacted Elvis Stephenson and offered him a bribe of Rs 5 crore. Elvis Stephenson made a complaint to the ACB police and a trap was laid and his encounters with the accused were secretly audio-video recorded, the ED said. The case hit the headlines following a video showing former TDP MLA  A Revanth Reddy who was seen bribing TRS nominated MLA Stephenson and also an audio tape that went viral, highlighting Chandrababu Naidu's reported role in the scam where he was the one who had hiked the amount from Rs 3.5 Crore to Rs 5 Crore.

Also Read: New Video In Note For Votes Case Puts Chandrababu In The Dock

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had arrested the accused during their trap proceedings and filed a charge sheet after investigation, the ED said.

Also Read: Note For Vote Case: Time Line Of Events