TRS MLAs Poaching Case: SIT Summons BJP Top Leader BL Santhosh

In a major development in TRS MLAs poaching case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana Police has summoned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh. The SIT has served notice to the BJP leader under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code(CrPC) asking him to appear before it on Monday, November 21. Santhosh has been directed to go to the Police Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad at 10.30 am on Monday. The SIT has stated in the notice that if he fails to appear before it, he will be arrested. The notice sent to the BJP office in Bengaluru’s Malleshwaram asked Santhosh to bring a specific mobile phone without deleting any information, that the accused are believed to have contacted him on. “Failure to attend/comply with the terms of this notice can render you liable for arrest under Section 41-A (3) and (4) of CrPC,” it said. 

BL Santhosh's name figured in the purported conversation between three alleged BJP agents arrested by the police last month while allegedly trying to lure four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to the BJP's fold with an offer of huge amounts of money. The SIT has already served notices to Kerala doctor Jaggu Swami, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) president Tushar Vellapally and a lawyer and relative of Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar for questioning. All four have been summoned on the same day. They have been asked to appear before SIT for questioning for their alleged links with the three accused arrested in the case last month. 

Meanwhile, BJP has filed a petition in the High Court challenging notices issued to BL Santhosh and a lawyer by the SIT. 

“Notices are being issued to people not connected with the case,” BJP general secretary Gujjula Premendar Reddy said in his interim plea.

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