HYDERABAD: Raids by Income Tax (I-T) sleuths continued for the second day at the residences of Labour Minister Chamakura Malla Reddy and his relatives. Sleuths on Wednesday also recovered Rs 4.8 crore unaccounted cash, bringing the total seized cash to Rs 8.8 crore.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, when the officials were carrying out raids at the residence of Mahender Reddy, the minister’s elder son clutched his chest claiming he was feeling discomfort and pain. He was soon moved to the Malla Reddy Narayana Multispeciality Hospital situated in Suraram. When Malla Reddy arrived at the hospital to check on his son’s condition, he remarked that Mahender fell ill due to the harassment of officials.
Sources said the officials identified 12 lockers in eight different banks belonging to the minister and his relatives. While four of them were opened with the help of Malla Reddy’s daughter Shreya, who accompanied the officials, the rest were sealed.
A few of the bank accounts belong to Marri Rajashekar Reddy, son-in-law of the minister, said sources, adding that he is currently in Turkey and will be reaching the city by 8 am on Thursday. During the raids, Malla Reddy’s daughter-in-law Preeti Reddy was also seen heading into her house with a bag reportedly containing valuables. However, officials refused to confirm the contents of the bag.
A total of Rs 4 crore was also seized from the residence of Sa-ntosh Reddy, who handles Malla Reddy’s finances related to real estate and other businesses. Sources said that fees being illegally collected under management quota seats was being transferred to other businesses belonging to the family-owned group of companies.
Speaking to the media later in the day, Malla Reddy said the BJP-led government was harassing him with 50 I-T teams. “This tyranny has to end,” he said. The minister said he has been running colleges for the last 20 years and making money through it, which, he mentioned, was legal. “Our colleges produce brilliant minds who get job offers from across the world. However, the BJP government is harassing us with I-T and ED raids,” he said.
“Officials have been raiding my residence since 6 am on Monday. I run educational institutions, not any real estate company or anything like that. We build hospitals and produce brilliant doctors, not sell (legislator) seats by the use of extortion. Students claim their seats after counselling but these claims that we are diverting funds are intentional in a bid to damage my reputation and fame,” the minister said.
“Do I ever ask any penny from anyone,” he asked, adding that he, instead, has a big heart and offers help to anyone who asks for it. “We offer medical treatment for free but do not loot anyone. My kids are going through trauma and the CRPF personnel are harassing us and they did not allow us to meet my son either,” he charged.