HYDERABAD: BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday as asked, instead opting to send an email to the ED’s investigation officer that he had filed a petition in Telangana High Court challenging the notices issued to him.
According to sources, the MLA said that he had informed the ED that he would not appear before the agency unless the High Court directs him to do so. He reminded that he had already appeared twice before the agency officials even though he was not an accused but the complainant in the BRS MLAs’ poaching case.
According to sources, the MLA did not receive any reply from the investigation officer. They said that the MLA confabulated with his legal team about the consequences if he does not appear before the ED, before giving it a miss.
After meeting his legal experts, the MLA visited Pragathi Bhavan and reportedly met IT Minister KT Rama Rao and informed him about his mail to the ED.
When contacted, the MLA said: “The agency has asked me to appear before its officials on Tuesday but I ignored their direction. Why should I go again and again even though I am a complainant in the poaching case? I filed a petition in the High Court and I will go by the directions of the court.”
“As a law-abiding citizen, I appeared before the ED twice. Again they are calling me which smacks of a conspiracy against me,” Rohith Reddy said.