MP, ex-MLA among 12 detained at Telangana farmhouse drug bust
What's the story
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar and former Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA P Rohith Reddy were among those detained by Telangana Police on Saturday evening. The police raided a farmhouse owned by Rohith Reddy in Moinabad, Ranga Reddy district, on a tip-off about an alleged "illegal" party involving drugs, The Indian Express reported. A New Delhi-based businessman, Namit Sharma, who was present at the party, allegedly fired a gun in the air when police arrived.
Raid details
What we know about the incident
The police raided the farmhouse after receiving a tip-off about an "illegal party" where drugs were allegedly involved. Upon seeing the police, Sharma allegedly snatched a gun from Ritesh Reddy, Rohith's younger brother, and fired it in the air. Although Ritesh has a valid gun license, Sharma's actions led to his arrest. The firearm and several bullets were seized during this incident.
Drug testing
6 people detained after testing positive for drugs
The police also conducted drug tests on the party attendees. According to the report, five people tested positive for drug use on-site, while one more tested positive in a subsequent blood test. All six have been detained by the police for further investigation into the incident. According to Hindustan Times, Reddy tested positive, while Mahesh Kumar, the Eluru MP from Andhra Pradesh, tested negative initially.
Past incident
Farmhouse was earlier linked to a political sting operation
Notably, this is not the first time the farmhouse has been in the news. In October 2022, a sting operation was conducted at the same location, leading to several arrests for allegedly trying to bribe BRS MLAs into joining the BJP. At that time, Reddy had alleged that he was offered ₹100 crore to switch parties and bring other MLAs with him.