BJP leader Muralidhar Rao booked for allegedly cheating, forging Sitharaman’s signature
Hyderabad: An FIR was filed against BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and eight others for allegedly cheating a man here of Rs 2.17 crore by promising him a nominated post in the central government, police said Wednesday.
However, Muralidhar Rao refuted the allegations and said he has nothing to do with the case.
Based on a court-referred complaint lodged by the man's wife, a case was registered Tuesday against Muralidhar Rao and eight others on charges of cheating, forgery, criminal intimidation and other relevant IPC sections, they said.
The complainant alleged that she and her husband were induced by Muralidhar Rao and others by showing a purported letter with forged signature of Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
She alleged they took Rs 2.17 crore after promising that her husband would be appointed chairperson of Pharma Exil, police said.
Denying the allegations, Muralidhar Rao in a series of tweets said, "Regarding the FIR filed - have nothing to do with the present dispute. The FIR involving me reportedly is sequel to a private complaint in a court by those who actually are facing criminal charges in the same matter."
"The timing of the private complaint which has no base is mischievous to say the least. Hope police will act quickly to nail the lies. My lawyers will initiate appropriate steps to bring the culprits to justice," he said in another tweet.
In November 2015, Eswar Reddy, who claimed to be closely associated with prominent personalities in the BJP, approached the woman and her husband.
Eswar Reddy had said he knew one A Krishna Kishore, the "shadow" of Muralidhar Rao, who was capable of getting a nominated post in any department of the central government, the woman said in her complaint.
The complainant said she and her husband were reluctant to acquire the post by spending a huge amount.
"Later, Eswar Reddy and others again approached us and put pressure on us to accept their proposal by making false promises that they would be able to procure a nominated membership of Pharma Exil which functions under the control of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India," the complainant alleged.
She also alleged that Eswar Reddy and others with the active connivance of Muralidhar Rao showed a photocopy of an appointment letter of her husband as chairperson of Pharma Exil, which was purportedly signed by Nirmala Sitharaman, and took Rs 2.17 crore for the post.
When the complainant and her husband approached Eswar Reddy and others over the appointment they dragged the matter and when they sought return of the money there was no response, police said based on the complaint.
The woman alleged that Muralidhar Rao also started to threaten them.
Reacting to the FIR, BJP Telangana chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao in a statement said, "The frivolous FIR filed against our National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao by few detractors is with a clear motive to tarnish his image and the party's."
Muralidhar Rao's lawyers will take appropriate legal action, he said, adding that "we are very certain that our leader has done no wrong".
The BJP also warned of dire legal consequences if anyone conspired against the party.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
