Nellore cricket betting: YSRCP's KS Reddy questioned over suspected role

Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA from Nellore Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy was questioned again by the police over his suspected role in a cricket betting case. The MLA on Sunday appeared before additional SP B. Sarath Babu for questioning.

On August 21, Nellore Police served notices to the two MLAs under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code in connection with the betting case. The police found key evidence of the MLAs having links with the arrested cricket bookies when their telephone records were closely tracked and analysed as part of the detailed investigation. Though the party has rejected any such claims of and said their MLAs are clear.

Superintendent of Police Nellore Ramakrishna and Additional SP Nellore said, “Inquiry has not been completed yet. We have to collect some more evidences. Not possible to tell anything beyond this. Nellore Rural MLA K. Sridhar Reddy was questioned today and Nellore Town MLA P. Anil Kumar will be questioned soon.”

Reddy warns the government

When the suspected MLAs were questioned earlier, the legislators alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had targeted them for political reasons and have let off five cricket betting bookies of the TDP. However, Sridhar Reddy has already warned that they would launch an agitation if the government tries to harass the leaders of the opposition and target them in the betting case.

The investigations went deep when the couple and their sons committed suicide on July 1 at Rameshwaram. The reason for their action was allegedly threats by bookies to pay the amount due to them. Prominent among those held were YSRC floor leader in Nellore Municipal Corporation P. Roopkumar Yadav, a close relative of MLA Dr Anilkumar Yadav and YSRC leader Biradavolu Srikanth Reddy who is linked closely with Sridhar Reddy.

Nellore police are seriously looking into this matter and it is being feared that many big names would come out in due course.