The Andhra Pradesh State Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (APSDRI) has uncovered a potential voter bribing scandal involving Nova Agri Tech Pvt Ltd and its chairman TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao. A recent search at the company’s premises found a diary with handwritten entries detailing cash inflows and outflows for bribing voters during the 2019 general elections. The diary suggests that large sums of money were illegally distributed to voters through unknown sources before the election date of April 11, 2019.
The diary implicates a former Nova Agri Tech employee, Pullela Ajay Babu, who has since absconded and turned off his phone. APSDRI authorities believe that the details in the diary, such as dates, village names, number of votes per booth, and transport charges for out-of-town voters, indicate a well-organized operation to influence the election outcome through illegal means. The expenditures were not reported to the Election Commission.
Investigation revealed that Nova Group employees and key personnel were allegedly involved in carrying out these illegal transactions on behalf of MLA candidate Sambasiva Rao, who won the seat from Parchuru Assembly Constituency. Several villages mentioned in the diary as recipients of bribe money fall within Parchuru constituency. The Bapatla district police have been informed and have alerted the Income Tax authorities, Enforcement Directorate, and Securities and Exchanges Board of India about the alleged illegal activities.
Specific instances of bribes mentioned in the diary include bribing voters at specific polling booths in Pavuluru Village, cash payments to individuals like ZPTC Venkatrao, and distribution of bribes through a list of Nova Group employees. The flow of money from Nova Group companies into intermediary accounts and subsequent cash withdrawals are currently under investigation.
