YSR Congress alleges TDP link
HYDERABAD: The ongoing investigation by the federal police in Chicago in the US into the high profile sex racket being run by a Telugu businessman-turned-film producer has taken a political turn in Andhra Pradesh. The opposition YSR Congress has alleged that the accused have close links with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The Chicago police arrested Modugumudi Kishan alias Raju, 34, and his wife Chandrakala alias Vibha, 31, in the last week of April and filed a 42-page charge sheet in the district court earlier this month. It said the couple was running a high-end prostitution ring to lure actresses from Tollywood (the Telugu film industry) to the US and advertise them for sex at Indian conferences and cultural events. The couple allegedly charged clients up to $3,000 for each sexual encounter.
Modugumudi Kishan, an NRI businessman who co-produced a few hit films, allegedly used to send invites to the actresses in the name of Telugu Association of North America and other Telugu associations that regularly conduct cultural and film events through the year. YSRC spokesperson Vasireddy Padma alleged that TANA president Satish Vemana was a TDP leader and a close associate of CM Chandrababu Naidu. “The charge sheet clearly says the Chicago police had interrogated Satish Vemana in the sex racket. I don’t think this racket was being run without his knowledge and other TDP leaders. How can a person like Modugumudi Kishan get access to TANA letterheads to send invites to actresses to US?” she asked. Padma also said that TANA’S former president, Komati Jayaram, was also a TDP leader and Naidu had appointed him as the representative of Andhra Pradesh in North America. “While Jayaram has done nothing for Telugu NRIS, he has remained blind to such rackets,” she said.
Vemana denied the allegations, saying his organisation did not have any relationship with the couple. “Ours is the oldest and most reputed Telugu Association in the US and it does not hire any agents to invite Telugu people to its functions and activities,” he said. He admitted that Brian Ginna, special agent of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), had questioned him with regard to the letters sent by Modugumudis.