TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Tests Positive for Meth After Farmhouse Party Raid
In a significant development, Andhra Pradesh's sitting TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar tested positive Sunday for the banned substance methamphetamine (meth) in a blood test. This test was ordered after investigators alleged he attempted to dodge a drug screening during a police raid at a farmhouse party the previous night.
High-Profile Drug Bust at Moinabad Farmhouse
The Eluru MP's test result brings the number of high-profile guests failing drug checks at the Moinabad property to six out of eleven. The farmhouse is owned by former Tandur MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy of BRS. Among those testing positive was Delhi-based businessman Namith Sharma, whose urine samples contained traces of cocaine during Saturday's raid. Sharma has also been charged with attempt-to-murder and assault for allegedly firing at police with a .32 revolver belonging to Rohith's brother Rithesh Reddy Pajugula.
Those accused of substance abuse include:
- Pilot Rohith Reddy (former BRS MLA)
- Putta Mahesh Kumar (TDP MP)
- Rithesh Reddy Pajugula
- Namith Sharma (businessman)
- Tiruveedula Arjun Reddy (businessman)
- Kaushik Ravi (advocate)
Legal Charges and Police Investigation
"All eleven people at the farmhouse party have been charged with violation of the Telangana Prohibition Act," stated Moinabad DCP Yogesh Gautham. "We have invoked the NDPS Act against the six who have tested positive for meth or cocaine. Three of them—Namith, Rohith, and Rithesh—additionally stand accused of violating the Arms Act."
Rohith, Namith, and Rithesh have been arrested, while Mahesh Kumar and the other two guests received bail. All have been instructed to visit a deaddiction center, according to official statements.
Attempted Deception During Initial Testing
During Saturday night's drug bust, MP Mahesh Kumar initially cleared the urine test after allegedly filling his sample cup with water from the washroom instead of providing a genuine urine sample. "A blood test conducted Sunday revealed meth," explained SP R Girdhar of the state's Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE). "The same test confirmed substance abuse by the other five who tested positive for cocaine."
Political Fallout and Reactions
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered an internal inquiry by TDP, with instructions for Mahesh Kumar to stay away from party events "until the matter is clarified," according to sources. The MP has contested the allegations and stated he will "come out clean."
In related political developments, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said he was willing to undergo a drug test at any time. This statement came in response to Telangana PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud's demand that all public representatives be subjected to such checks.
Details of the Raid Operation
Saturday night's raid involved a coordinated team from EAGLE and Future City Police scaling the boundary wall of the Moinabad farmhouse, located approximately 30 kilometers from Hyderabad. Officers discovered a high-profile gathering on couches around a swimming pool, allegedly surrounded by hookah pots, liquor, and drugs.
Police seized about two grams of a white substance during the operation, though they suspect a portion of the drugs was flushed before their arrival. A packet confiscated from Rohith's driver Sharath Kumar has been sent for forensic examination. Investigators believe both cocaine and methamphetamine were used at the party, with the seized drugs allegedly brought by advocate Kaushik from Shimla through a contact.
