Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday levelled sharp allegations against the Congress-led Telangana government for maintaining silence over a multi-crore luxury car import scam involving customs duty evasion and suspected money laundering.
Senior BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail questioned why Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has not ordered a state-level probe or even commented publicly, despite the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiating a ₹25 crore investigation.
The accused, Basharat Ahmed Khan, reportedly operated a high-end car showroom directly across from the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate raising eyebrows about how such a racket could go unnoticed without political or official shielding.
Sohail claimed that Khan imported luxury vehicles via Dubai and Sri Lanka using fake documentation, undervaluing them to avoid customs duties. He alleged this was a textbook case of laundering corruption money possibly linked to current Congress figures.
The ED is now trying to determine the buyers of these illegally brought-in cars. Sohail demanded to know whether Congress ministers, MLAs, or their relatives were among them.
He also questioned the Transport Department and Customs offices in Telangana, stating that such an operation couldn’t happen without their help or negligence. Despite Khan’s arrest in Hyderabad, the case was moved to Ahmedabad, highlighting the local agencies’ inaction, he said.
Khan allegedly made at least eight such imports, causing over ₹7 crore in duty loss. Sohail demanded clarity on the ownership of CLFIVE Automotives, BAK Carlounge Services, and BAK Car Lounge Pvt Ltd suggesting they might be shell firms hiding political ties.
Criticising the Congress leadership’s muted stance, especially its usual rhetoric against the ED, Sohail said their silence now raises serious questions.
Calling it a “Congress-backed financial crime network,” Sohail warned that BRS will not remain silent. “The people of Telangana deserve answers,” he said, vowing to escalate the issue until there’s full accountability.