Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Revanth Reddy, who was allegedly caught trying to bribe a nominated MLA to influence Legislative Council elections, was sent to 14 days in judicial custody by a court here on Monday.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had, yesterday, trapped Reddy for allegedly trying to give a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson "to vote in favour of a TDP nominee" in Legislative Council elections scheduled for today.
Reddy was arrested today after a case was filed against him under Prevention of Corruption Act.
As per reports, Reddy will vote in the election today morning and would be later taken under custody by the police and sent to prison.
However, his lawyers are trying their best to secure him bail by today evening.
As per the ACB, Revanth Reddy and his aide allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 50 lakh as advance as part of the Rs five crore deal.
The TDP MLA and his aide had gone to the residence of Stephenson at Lalaguda in Secunderabad to hand over the cash when the ACB sleuths caught them offering the bribe, an ACB officer said.
"After the voting, the remaining Rs 4.5 crore were to be paid," the officer said.
Election to the Telangana Legislative Council under MLAs' quota from the Assembly constituency is scheduled for today to fill six vacancies. Vem Narender Reddy is contesting as TDP candidate.
In October last year, Telangana government had nominated Stephenson as the MLA of the Anglo-Indian community in the state.
Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy alleged that he was being falsely implicated in the case. "I have been framed in the case by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," he said.
TDP MLAs protested outside the ACB office in Hyderabad today to protest against the arrest of Reddy.
