VIJAYAWADA: CID issues notice to Lokesh on ‘Lal Kitab’ threat

Vijayawada: Following directions from the special court of the ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) officials on Friday served a notice under Section 41A (4) to TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh. In a memorandum filed in the ACB court last week, the investigating agency had asked the court to seek a non-bailable warrant against Lokesh for allegedly making threatening remarks to intimidate witnesses and officials probing the Amravati Inner Ring Road (IRR) case. Was requested to issue. It is learned that Lokesh has confirmed receiving the notice by replying to CID officials on WhatsApp. It is noteworthy that Lokesh is accused number 14 in the alleged Amravati Inner Ring Road scam and the CID had issued a notice to him under section 41 (A) of the CrPC. The investigating agency officials had questioned him twice in the case in October. In its plea in the court, the CID had also sought permission to arrest Lokesh for violating the conditions stipulated in the notice given under Section 41A on September 29. Presenting arguments in the court on Thursday, the CID lawyer said that Lokesh, during his interviews with local news channels, talked about a ‘Lal Kitab’ in which he allegedly listed the names of government officials, especially police officers. Which allegedly created obstacles. And soon after TDP returns to power in the state, cases will be registered against him and his party leaders and how they will be punished. Further hearing in the petition on CID’s request to arrest Lokesh was fixed for January 9. When TNIE tried to contact CID officials on the notice, there was no response. Sources said CID officials tried to serve the notice to Lokesh at his residence on Thursday evening itself, but they could not contact him. Asserting that he had not violated any norms, the TDP leader pointed out that he had only said that a judicial inquiry would be ordered against the ‘erring’ officials and did not threaten them. Saying that he did not disclose the names of the officers included in the ‘Lal Kitab’, he wanted to know how the two senior IPS officers knew that their names had been included. On the controversy surrounding Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Vyuham’, Lokesh claimed that Jagan was the producer, and said the lawyer arguing on behalf of the film in the Telangana High Court is a YSRC MP. “It is a regular process for some directors to make such films to malign the opposition parties before the elections,” he said.