Human trafficking: Searches at TRS MLA's house

HYDERABAD: A day after securing the custody of Telangana Rashtra Samithi rebel legislator K Lingaiah in connection with human trafficking case, Andhra Pradesh police on Wednesday searched his residences in the city and at Godavarikhani
in his home district of Karimnagar.

A police team from Central Crime Station (CCS) went to Chanchalguda jail here, where the legislator was lodged, and took him into custody for further interrogation.

The charge against Lingaiah, who represents Nerella constituency in Karimnagar district, is that he had obtained a passport for a woman from Gujarat in the name of his wife.

Lingaiah had surrendred before a court here on April 27 after police filed a case against him under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) 468 (forgery) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of IPC and section 12 (1) (6) of the Passport Act.

He was remanded to judicial custody till May 11.

On a petition filed by police seeking his 10-day custody for further inquiry in the case, the Additional Metropolitan Magistrate on Tuesday granted police custody for eight days.

The court, however, directed that the interrogation should be done in the presence of his advocate.

Meanwhile, the police is also looking for another TRS rebel MLA S Bapurao, who represents Boath constituency in Adilabad district, in the wake of media reports linking him to the fake passport scam.