TDP MP, Ex BRS MLA test +ve for drugs

A Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh and a former MLA from Telangana have tested positive for drugs after police raided a farmhouse in Moinabad near Hyderabad on Saturday night, a senior official said on Sunday.

The MP reportedly belongs to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the former MLA is from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). They were among six who tested positive after blood tests were conducted on them, the police official said.

The MP had tested negative in the rapid test conducted on Saturday night immediately after the raid.

On reliable information that a drug party was on at a farmhouse, a team of Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE), along with Special Operations Team (SOT) and local police, raided the place.

EAGLE Superintendent of Police R. Giridhar told the media that the raiding team heard gunshots and acted swiftly to overpower the man who had opened fire. He was identified as Nimit Sharma, said to be a resident of New Delhi.

According to police, the accused had opened fire in the air. Police seized the revolver and a live cartridge. Used cartridges were found in the possession of another person present there.

Police believe that the man opened fire as part of a celebration during the party, as those present there had not noticed the police personnel.

The SP said a total of 11 people, including a woman attending the drug party, were taken into custody, and a rapid drug test was conducted on them. Five of them tested positive in the rapid test. As per the procedure, the accused were taken to a government hospital to collect blood samples.

One of the six who tested negative in the rapid test was found positive in the blood test. The six were handed over to the Moinabad police, who will take further legal action. The accused will be produced before a magistrate.

The police officer said action would be taken against the accused under the NDPS Act.

Politicians, realtors and businessmen were among those who attended the party.

Two grams of white powder were also seized from the farmhouse. The samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing.

Interestingly, it was at the same farmhouse that Cyberabad police conducted a raid in October 2022 and arrested three people for allegedly trying to bribe some MLAs of the then ruling party, BRS.