FGG casts doubts on cash seized in Kodangal segment

Hyderabad: Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has demanded that the Election Commission find out as to what happened to Rs 16.99 crore out of the Rs 17.50 crore seized during the elections in Kodangal constituency, which was earlier represented by Congress leader A Revanth Reddy.The FGG representatives urged Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar to order a detailed inquiry into the money reported missing.

The representatives pointed out that huge money was distributed during the elections in the State. FGG Secretary M Padmanabha Reddy said while they were studying the cases booked during the elections, they had found out discrepancies in the two reports. Padmanabha Reddy said the additional Superintendent of Police (Admn) Mahbubnagar stated that in Mirzapur village under Kosgi police station limits in the Kodangal Assembly constituency, Patnam Narender Reddy, TRS candidate, and his relative Jagannath Reddy stashed away money in the farmhouse of Jagannath Reddy.

The police seized Rs 17.50 crore and during the inquiry, it was found that money was brought to distribute to voters to get votes in the elections. Subsequently Income Tax officials also raided the farmhouse and seized Rs 51 lakh. Padmanabha Reddy said as per the police report, Rs 17.50 crore were found at Jagannath Reddy’s farmhouse and when the IT Department seized the money, they declared the seized cash was only Rs 51 lakh and it was not clear what happened to the remaining cash of Rs 16.99 crore.

“Was it returned to the party concerned or deposited in court or distributed to voters by the time IT Department officials reached the farmhouse,” asked the FGG secretary. The matter required a detailed inquiry, he said and demanded a thorough investigation to bring out the facts.