Telangana min Malla Reddy booked for obstructing IT officials

Hyderabad: The high drama around the Income Tax (IT) searches at the houses of Telangana labour minister Ch Malla Reddy, his relatives, friends and the educational institutions went up a notch after IT department officials lodged a complaint against the minister. A case has been registered against him. 

An Income Tax official named Ratnakar lodged a complaint with the Bowenpally police alleging Malla Reddy and his relatives or followers obstructed their duties and snatched away laptop, phone and other documents that were seized during the searches. The police booked a case against the minister under Sections 353 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

Another case was booked against the Income Tax official following a complaint lodged by the younger son of Malla Reddy named Bhadra Reddy. The latter alleged that IT department officials forced his elder brother Mahendra Reddy to sign documents at the Suraram Hospital where he is admitted after falling ill during IT searches at his house a day earlier. A case under Section 384 of the Indian Penal Code was booked against the IT official.

The Bowenpally police booked two cases and transferred them to Dundigal police station as the jurisdiction of the incident falls under Dundigal police station. Malla Reddy later at a press conference alleged that the Income Tax (I-T) raids on him and his family members were part of a larger conspiracy by the BJP government at the Centre, targeting him. 

“The BJP is scared of the TRS which is extending its activities to other States and eventually would pose a threat to the BJP.  But I will not get intimidated by these raids. We are ready to cooperate with the authorities concerned as we have done nothing wrong,” Malla Reddy told the media here on Thursday.