Minister Satyavathi Rathod.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Guduru police on Friday registered an FIR against Tribal, Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod on charges of offering money to influence voters, following a complaint by a flying squad of the Election Commission.
Ms.Rathod was booked under Section 171 E and other relevant sections of the IPC, police said.
The complaint was lodged by the flying squad tasked with enforcement of model code of conduct (MCC) for the November 30 Assembly elections in Telangana. A detailed investigation is under way to unravel the truth, said a police official.
On Thursday evening, a video went viral wherein Ms.Rathod was purportedly seen putting a few currency notes in the aarti plate after being accorded a traditional welcome by some women on her arrival at Kongaragidda village as part of the BRS election campaign, sources added. In the complaint, it was alleged that she kept ₹4,000 in the aarti plate, which amounted to violation of the MCC.