Even as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the Centre of misusing its agencies to intimidate his party leaders and cabinet ministers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids against TDP MP Sujana Chowdary. This is the second time that the ED is carrying out a search at Chowdary’s properties in less than a month.
According to reports, the ED team from Chennai launched a raid at the offices of the MP on Friday night and continued their search on Saturday. Officials conducted searches at Chowdary’s offices—Splendid Metal Products Ltd and Sujana Universal Industries at Nagarjuna Hills in Punjagutta and also at his head office located at Jubilee Hills Road No. 10. According to local news reports, the officials have seized several documents from his offices.
Chowdary allegedly took a loan of Rs 304 crore from three banks and transferred them to shell companies, without paying back the loan. He also has three cases against him filed by CBI.
Sujana Chowdary was a Union Minister holding the portfolio of Science and Technology until recently, before the TDP pulled out of the NDA in March due to denial of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra government has repeatedly accused the BJP led Centre of using central agencies as a tool for political vendetta.
On October 10, the ED carried out the first raids on Chowdary’s offices at Sujana Group office in Hyderabad. Following this, his colleague CM Ramesh, a member of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) had sought an explanation from the Income Tax Department on the searches against the TDP leaders. Almost a week later, the IT conducted raids against Ramesh after which he hit out at the IT Department and accused the BJP of playing ‘vindictive’ politics for his protest against the Centre.
Last week, the AP government revoked the state’s general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation, questioning its integrity after the ongoing conflict within the agency. With the general consent revoked, the CBI requires the state government’s permission to conduct raids in the state.