Chennai, PTI
As per official records, Ponguleti Harsha Reddy, the son of a Telangana minister, has been summoned by Chennai Customs regarding his suspected involvement in the smuggling of expensive watches worth millions of rupees. Initially called for April 4, Reddy informed in a letter dated April 3 that his ongoing recovery from dengue fever prevented him from attending. However, he has committed to meeting with the department post-April 27, based on medical advice.
Speaking to sources, Reddy denied any connection to the case, attributing the accusations to his health status. The summons, dated March 28, was sent to the office of a family-run company in Hyderabad, where Reddy serves as a director.
The smuggling inquiry commenced on February 5 when Chennai Customs seized two high-end watches from a passenger arriving from Singapore, valued at Rs 1.73 crore, as disclosed in a Customs release. Customs investigations traced Harsha Reddy as the alleged buyer through intermediary Alokam Naveen Kumar, who reportedly facilitated transactions using cryptocurrency and cash via the hawala route.
Despite the Madras High Court rejecting Naveen Kumar’s plea for anticipatory bail, Harsha Reddy expressed his willingness to cooperate with Customs post-April 27. Customs, in response to a directive from the Alandur court, is probing Harsha Reddy, while Naveen Kumar faces potential arrest, according to Customs insiders.
