Maganti Gopinath to be held in notes-for-vote case

The ACB police are closing in on Maganti Gopinath, TDP MLA from the Jubilee Hills, in the notes-for-vote case involving the alleged bribing of nominated MLA Stephenson in the MLC elections in Telangana. The ACB is expected to arrest Gopinath either today or tomorrow with pucca evidence, implicating him as the provider of the currency notes, which Revant Reddy, TDP MLA, allegedly passed on to Stephenson at the place directed by the latter in the Lallaguda area. The TDP had made efforts for the success of its candidate Vem Narender Reddy in the MLC poll. In this connection, the opposition party in Telangana walked into the trap laid by the MLC. At that time, the video showing Revant pointing to the cash and telling Stepehnson to pick it up had made sensation in TV channels. While the video showed the happenings at Stephenson's directed place, the audio blared Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister as assuring Stephenson verbally that his interests would be well looked after. The images showed Revant telling Stephenson to pick up the spoils. The sensational video and audio allegedly of Chandrababu Naidu had at that time been projected as the truth. But, subsequently, the whole audio affair had died down for reasons beyond the ken of layman. What was later revealed in the public domain was the Hyderabad High Court passing strictures on Stephenson for his appeal for recusing the judge, holding he could be held for contempt. While the facts of the case are such, the ACB continued its investigations and closed in on Maganti Gopinath as the person who had put up the cash for the Stephenson deal. Both Revant and another TDP MLA Sandra Veeraiah had been arrested in connection with the case. Subsequently, the AP authorities had alleged that Chandrababu Naidu's audio was either sham or result of phone-tapping, which was a violation of the Telegraphic Act. In any case, Gopinath's arrest, whenever it is carried out, will renew the episode once again.