Malla Reddy’s son, IT officials file Zero FIRs against each other

HYDERABAD

After a continuous search by the Income Tax officials at the homes and offices of Labour Minister Malla Reddy and his family members, the search came to an end on Thursday morning. Before the raids stopped, in the early hours of Thursday, two Zero FIRs were registered with the Bowenpally Police, one by the minister’s son Bhadra Reddy against I-T officer Ratnakar and the other FIR was registered by the same officer against the minister and his relatives. Both the cases were later transferred to Dundigal Police Station for further investigation.

The first complaint under Section 384 (Extortion) was filed by Bhadra Reddy where it was stated that the I-T officials including Deputy Director of Income Tax, Ratnakar forced Reddy’s brother Mahendar Reddy to sign on certain documents while he was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Suraram. The second complaint was filed by Ratnakar in which it was stated that the minister and his family obstructed a civil servant in carrying out government duty, destroyed evidence, spread misinformation, threatened him with verbal abuse and his personal belongings were stolen. Based on the complaint a Zero FIR was registered under Sections 504, 506, 353 and 342 of the IPC.

After the raids stopped, Minister Malla Reddy addressed the media on Thursday, in which he said that he cooperated without obstructing the duties of the officers and would not get intimidated by these raids. “I have already been raided two times by the Income Tax department, once in 1994 and in 2008. This is the third time. Even if my son wants admission in the medical college, I cannot join him there by paying donation money, the whole process happens online. There is no management quota to launder money, everything is done in a transparent manner.”

The minister also said that because he is a TRS minister, the BJP is targeting attacks against them. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has set up the BRS party, people from the nearby States are praising him and want him as a leader, this is why the BJP is doing all of this against us.  We are with KCR and ready to face any action, he added.