WARANGAL: The daughter of Parakal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy, who switched loyalties to TRS after winning on a TDP ticket, was duped of Rs 57 lakh by two soothsayers allegedly in the name of performing pujas to ensure that her father gets a berth in the state cabinet.
Though the MLA admitted that his daughter Manasa Reddy was duped, he denied the reason for performing the pujas was not for his elevation as a minister but for getting rid of ‘graha dosham’ .
The issue came to light after Manasa’s father-in-law Shamreddy Balreddy filed a complaint with police on July 14 stating that two tribal priests duped his daughter-in-law of Rs 57 lakh in the name of pujas. Police arrested the tribal priests -- Pastam Narsimha Raju and Vamshi of Karimabad -- on Monday.
Manasa Reddy, who resides in Vanasthalipuram, was made to believe by the tribal priests that their pujas can make her father a minister and she could also become MLA. “Once she agreed to go ahead, they started collecting huge sums of money from her,’’ police said.
As the news spread causing embarassment to the MLA, he rushed to Warangal, and told media that his daughter was convinced with the words of the priests that peforming pujas will benefit her family.
Terming the reports as false, Dharma Reddy said: “If one can become MLA and minister by performing pujas then everyone would do the same.’’