Police are verifying the reported statement of Telangana nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson made before the Magistrate in the cash-for-vote case, that Bishop Harry Sebastian had connected him to A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over mobile phone.
The statement indicated that Sebastian had called up Mr. Stephenson three to four times assuring to put him through Mr. Naidu over phone. Around 4 p.m. on May 30, the Bishop rang up on mobile phone No. 9949054322 of the nominated MLA and connected him to Mr. Naidu.
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Five hours later, Sebastian gave a ring to him and passed on his new mobile phone number, sources said. The next morning, he rang up again and conveyed that he (Sebastian) along with TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy would come to his house and hand over Rs. 50 lakh out of the Rs. 5 crore assured to be paid to cast vote to the TDP MLC nominee. But Sebastian later decided to change the place of meeting. Then the nominated MLA approached his friend Malcolm Taylor stating that he wanted to meet some people at the latter’s house. However, the meeting was arranged at the house of Mr. Taylor’s mother.
The ACB officials had set up audio and video recording equipment in the house.
Elvis Stephenson had told the Magistrate that Bishop Harry Sebastian had connected him to Naidu over phone