HYDERABAD: The TRS legislator from Boath constituency in Adilabad district, Soyam Bapu Rao, who went underground after a passport fraud case was registered against him recently, presented himself before the city police on Thursday.

After Kasipeta Lingaiah, he is the second TRS legislator facing charges of securing passports for others in the names of his family members. Mr. Lingaiah already surrendered before a local court and was remanded to judicial custody. Mr. Rao, along with his advocate, drove in a car around 8.30 a.m. to the Hyderabad Detective Department's office. Speaking to reporters, the MLA admitted that he met the alleged kingpin in the passport fraud case, Rasheed, but never intended to commit any malpractice.

"I am a tribal and this case against me is the conspiracy of TRS president K. Chandrashekhar Rao," he alleged. He said that because of his official duties, he used to depend on others for getting some works done. He said the police had seized the passports he was accused of securing in the names of his family members from Rasheed's house. "I only gave papers to Rasheed to apply for passports and am not sure what he did with them," he said. The MLA exuded confidence that he would come out clean.

City Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh said the MLA had only appeared before the police since they had already served a notice on him. "We are examining him and will take a decision on arresting him if any incriminating evidence is found," he said.

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