Ex-Cong MLA from Telangana held for trafficking 3 people to US on fake papers

Hyderabad: A former Congress MLA has been arrested for allegedly trafficking three people to the United States on the basis of forged documents while holding the public representative's post in 2004, police said Tuesday.

Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy, former MLA of Sanga Reddy, was arrested Monday night based on information that he allegedly obtained passports in 2004 for himself and for three others in the name of his wife, daughter and son by affixing photos of three unknown persons from Regional Passport office, Secunderabad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) B Sumathi said.

Reddy, after obtaining the passports and US visa, allegedly illegally transported the three people by accompanying them and took Rs 15 lakh from an agent, they said.

A suo-moto case was registered under relevant IPC sections and under Passport Act and Immigration Act at Market Police Station here Monday night, she said.

"The accused took an amount of Rs 15 lakh from an agent and trafficked three unknown persons to the United States by accompanying them as his family members and dropped them at New York," the DCP said.

The accused cheated the authorities at the Regional Passport office as well as the US Consulate by using his official position as an MLA then by submitting forged documents, the police official added.