YSR Congress Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member V. Vijay Sai Reddy on Monday informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he had no connection whatsoever with the alleged forcible acquisition of Kakinada Sea Port Ltd (KSPL) and Kakinada SEZ from the original promoter, Karnati Venkateshwara Rao, also known as K.V. Rao.
The ED interrogated Sai Reddy for over six hours, posing nearly 25 questions to gather information about allegations of the forcible takeover of K V Rao's majority shares in KSPL and SEZ at a throwaway price.
"They questioned me based on allegations made by K V Rao. I don’t know who K V Rao is, nor do I understand why he mentioned my name. I have never met him anywhere. Many people meet me regarding various matters,” Sai Reddy reportedly told the ED.
He categorically denied calling K V Rao regarding the Kakinada Sea Port issue.
"Let him take an oath in front of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. If his allegations are true, he should speak the truth in front of the deity. Let us discuss the facts in the presence of the Lord," he challenged.
Sai Reddy also demanded that K V Rao produce call data records since May 2022.
“If it is proven that I called K V Rao, I will accept my mistake. If his claims are true, let us both sit face-to-face and be interrogated,” he added.
Stating that he is a Member of Parliament with no involvement in government transactions, Sai Reddy said he had conveyed the same to the ED.
Addressing the role of Sarath Chandra Reddy in the KSPL and SEZ deals, he clarified that while he had family ties with Sarath Chandra, he had no business relations with him.
“Until the lookout notices were issued in connection with the Kakinada Ports issue, I was unaware of it. If K V Rao's complaint is proven false, I will file a defamation suit against him,” Sai Reddy stated.
It is worth noting that the Andhra Pradesh CID had earlier registered a case regarding the alleged forcible transfer of shares worth â¹3,600 crores in KSPL and Kakinada SEZ from K.V. Rao.
Following this, the ED initiated its own investigation and issued notices to Vijay Sai Reddy. However, due to parliamentary sessions, he was unable to attend earlier inquiries. Upon receiving fresh notices, Sai Reddy appeared for questioning on Monday.