Kasipeta Lingaiah

HYDERABAD: The lure of money and an all expenses-paid Europe trip made Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA Kasipeta Lingaiah take the human smuggling bait.

"I went to the visa interview at the US Consulate, Chennai, with an unidentified woman, and falsely presented her as my wife," he confessed to police here on Wednesday.

Mr. Lingaiah, who was taken into police custody after surrendering before a local court a week ago in connection with a passport fraud case registered against him, was produced before a court. He was remanded in judicial custody till May 11.

In his confessional statement, the MLA told investigators that he was promised 50 per cent of the money the woman would pay if she secured the visa. The remaining amount would go to Rasheed, the alleged kingpin in the racket of smuggling people abroad, who is presently in judicial custody.

The TRS legislator said he initially refused to attend the visa interview when Rasheed explained to him about human smuggling and tried to convince him that none in the Consulate would verify the facts. Eventually, he agreed when the agent offered lakhs of rupees and a trip to Europe with family members.

He attended the interview but the visa was declined. "I can identify the woman if she is presented before me. I have introduced Rasheed to my party MLA from the Boath constituency Soyam Bapu Rao," Mr. Lingaiah said.

He maintained that he gave his passport application and that of his family members to Rasheed, who was introduced to him by a person named Dilip, an aide of suspended TRS MP A. Narendra. Karimnagar district police officials rejected his request for police clearance certificate, citing two pending criminal cases against him.

Mr. Lingaiah said the police, however, cleared applications of his family members but was surprised to see different photographs in the place of his wife and children. He reportedly took Rasheed to task, holding him responsible for the muddle and let him off after a stern warning.

"Later, I met the Regional Passport Officer, Hyderabad, several times but my applications were rejected on one pretext or the other," the MLA said. That was when he had to contact Rasheed again for help. This time, the agent managed to secure the passport for the MLA. Rasheed also secured a passport in the name of MLA's wife Tara using photograph of another woman.

`I am innocent'

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Mr. Lingaiah, however, said he was innocent and hoped that court would acquit him of all charges. He reiterated that TRS president K. Chandrashekhar Rao conspired to implicate him in a false case. "I am innocent and that is why I have surrendered before the court."

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