TDP MLA Venkata granted conditional bail

Hyderabad: Telangana TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, who was arrested by ACB in the cash-for-vote case, was today granted conditional bail by a local court.

A special court for ACB cases, while granting bail to Veeraiah, directed him to furnish two sureties of Rs 2 lakh each, confine himself to Sattupally constituency which he represents and to surrender his passport.

Veeraiah, who was arrested by Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), on July 6 after a day-long questioning in connection with the case, was subsequently remanded in judicial custody till July 21 even as he had filed a bail petition in the court.

Earlier, ACB interrogated Veeraiah in police custody for two-days (on July 9 and July 10).  Veeraiah was the second politician to be arrested in the sensational cash-for-vote scam, following the arrest of another TDP MLA and deputy floor leader of Telugu Desam in Telangana Assembly A Revanth Reddy, the prime accused in the case.

Veeraiah, who represents Sattupally constituency in Khammam district allegedly made several calls to co-accused, before allegedly contacting nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson in the run up to the MLC polls.  

On May 31, Revanth Reddy and two others--Harry Sebastian and Uday R Simha--were arrested by ACB while allegedly paying a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson, for supporting the TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the next day's legislative council election.

The trio got bail from the High Court last month. ACB has been maintaining that the TDP MLA Veeraiah knows from where the bribe money is coming from. However, Veeraiah's counsel brushed aside the allegations of conspiracy against his client.

Opposing the bail, ACB Special Public Prosecutor V Surender Rao, had yesterday contended that Veeraiah was the key person in the case and there was a need to further examine him.

However, the defense argued that Veeraiah was already taken into custody by ACB and questioned. After hearing the arguments and counter arguments from the prosecution and defense the court had yesterday reserved the orders for today.

PTI