No relief for Rohith Reddy, Telangana HC declines to stay ED probe | Hyderabad News

HYDERABAD: The Telangana HC on Wednesday declined to stay the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, but, in a relief to the legislator, made the ED give an assurance that it would not press him for any more details on his family assets other than what has already been submitted to the central agency.
Justice K Lakshman gave the interim order in a petition by Rohith Reddy questioning the ED case against him despite being the complainant in Poachgate case. The judge gave the ED a week to file its counter against the MLA’s allegation that he was being harassed for being the whistle-blower in the Poachgate case.

Appearing for Rohith Reddy, senior counsel and YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy, while seeking a stay, said that ED cannot register a money laundering case as no cash was found in Poachgate. He said the ED was seeking details of movable/immovable assets and source of income of MLA’s family members from April 1, 2015, in the name of investigation into a case registered in October this year.
The judge said he would ask the ED to explain why it was investigating a case where there were no proceeds of crime, but at the same time sought to know why any legislator would have any objection to part with asset information as it was already a public record in the form of their election affidavit.
“For the ED to enter, there should be a crime along with proceeds of crime. Here this is only a crime and the police laid a trap and arrested the accused at the time of making an oral offer of bribes. Even in cases of black money being found, the ED cannot enter the scene. It can ask the police to first register an FIR. Or it will become an income tax evasion case. But not a money laundering case for the ED to probe. BJP was embarrassed because of Rohith’s Poachgate FIR and, hence, it unleashed the ED on him,” Niranjan Reddy said. The judge posted the case to January 5 for next hearing.