Officers of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the A.P. Crime Investigation Department (CID) asked me 47 questions in the Amaravati Inner Ring Road (IRR) alignment case, TDP national general secretary N. Lokesh told the media here on October 11 (Wednesday).
Speaking after attending the investigation for the second day, Mr. Lokesh said, “Only four questions are new, and most of them are irrelevant to the present case.”
On the first day, the CID had posed 50 questions in the case.
The CID was suspecting my role in the case only because the G.O. 282 had mentioned about the Amaravati IRR and the Outer Ring Road (ORR), and as he was one of the members in the Group of Ministers related to it during the TDP term, Mr. Lokesh said.
“The CID officers have asked me the same questions, which are unrelated to the IRR case on the second day as well,” he said.
“I have attended the investigation for the second day at the request of the CID despite the Andhra Pradesh High Court instructing him to attend only for one day,” Mr. Lokesh said, and added that he had nothing to hide.
“I have expressed my willingness to attend the inquiry once again if the Investigation Officer serves a notice,” he said.
Mr. Lokesh said he was repeatedly asked questions unrelated to the Ministry he headed during the TDP term.
“We are not involved in the alleged IRR scam, and the CID has not shown even a single evidence to prove its argument,” he asserted.
The TDP leader questioned why the CID did not grill top officers L. Premachandra Reddy and Ajeya Kallam Reddy, who had signed the skill development project and released the money.
“The CID officers have asked me to explain the bank transaction of ₹27 lakh from my mother’s account to the account of Lingamaneni Ramesh. I told them that it is the rental paid for our stay at the Lingamaneni guest house,” Mr. Lokesh said, and added that it could not be construed as quid pro quo.
He, however, questioned the CID officers how could they access the Income-Tax returns of his mother, a private person who was not an accused in the case. Mr. Lokesh said he would take up the issue with the Income-Tax Department, and, if needed, take the issue to the court’s notice.
