Published Mar 16, 2026 | 3:46 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 16, 2026 | 3:46 PM
TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar. Credit: x.com/MaheshKumarOfc
Synopsis: Eluru TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, who tested positive for drugs at a Hyderabad farmhouse party, secured bail within 24 hours under NDPS Act provisions distinguishing consumption from trafficking. Police seized cocaine, liquor, and a revolver after shots were fired. Investigators suspect tampering with drug tests, while the probe continues into the firing and source of narcotics.
Eluru Telugu Desam Party MP from Andhra Pradesh Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, who tested positive for drugs at a party in Hyderabad on Saturday night, could obtain station bail in less than 24 hours.
The MP had received relief due to the subtle legal distinction between consumption and peddling of narcotic substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Director of the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Sandeep Shandilya told South First that the Eluru MP was only a consumer.
“He was a consumer and he consumed meth and not cocaine. For those who consume meth, the Act provides for imprisonment of only up to one year. The Supreme Court has issued guidelines that anyone committing an offence attracting punishment of less than seven years should be granted bail immediately,” he said.
Following these provisions, the EAGLE team granted him bail after he satisfied the required conditions. Officials also pointed out that the quantity of cocaine found at the farmhouse was very small. The MP has also submitted an undertaking to the police stating that he was not seeking any out-of-turn relief and would cooperate with the investigation in accordance with the law.
Shandilya added that the law provides an option for those accused of consuming narcotic substances to undergo treatment at a de-addiction centre for 15 days, after which criminal proceedings could be dropped. However, the Eluru MP did not opt for this provision.
Meanwhile, in a video statement, Mahesh Kumar denied taking drugs and hoped that he would emerge unscathed from the controversy. He said he only attended the party on invitation from his friends and that he did not consume drugs there. He said he was ready to face any inquiry.
Meanwhile, sources in the EAGLE team that conducted the raid said it was unbecoming of a sitting MP not to restrain others when shots were fired during the police operation. “We had to loudly announce that we were police. Had we opened fire in retaliation and if two or three people had died, who would be responsible,” the source asked.
Investigators also suspect that the MP may have attempted to hoodwink the drug test. According to sources, he appeared to have filled the urine sample bottle with water while in the washroom.
“We cannot watch what happens inside the washroom. It is quite possible he submitted water instead of urine. If it had been urine, how could it test negative while the blood sample tested positive, unless he had consumed the drug?” the source remarked.
Police said 11 persons, including one woman, were present at the party held at a farmhouse near Moinabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Initially, five of them tested positive for drugs. Later when blood samples were tested, the MP also tested positive at Erragada hospital.
All 11 individuals were taken to the Shamshabad Police Station and questioned in the early hours of Sunday.
During the inquiry, police learnt that the firing incident during the raid took place on the instructions of Rohit Reddy, while Namith Reddy allegedly pulled the trigger. The revolver used in the incident was registered in the name of Rohit’s brother, Ritesh Reddy.
Police registered a case under the Arms Act against Rohit Reddy, Namith Reddy and Ritesh Reddy. The trio were remanded to judicial custody, while the remaining seven participants were issued notices and allowed to leave. No case was registered against the woman who attended the party in the absence of any evidence.
About 40 police personnel from the EAGLE team, Shamshabad Police, Chevella Special Operations Team, and Moinabad Police participated in the operation.
The team surrounded the farmhouse to prevent anyone from escaping. Some officers in plainclothes moved towards the building, taking cover behind trees and bushes. As they approached, they heard gunshots being fired three times.
Those inside the farmhouse, unaware that the men outside were police officers, reportedly shouted asking who they were. When the officers announced that they were police, the firing briefly stopped. However, Namith Sharma allegedly fired again towards the police team before he was overpowered.
During the search, the police seized a German-made revolver, 0.26 grams of cocaine, four empty cartridges and one live cartridge. They also recovered 48 beer bottles and six bottles of liquor from the premises. Investigators said part of the cocaine had already been consumed.
According to police, the following persons attended the gathering: MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, Rohit Reddy, his brother Ritesh Reddy, businessmen M. Ramesh and V. Sravan Kumar, Delhi-based businessman Namith Sharma, N. Vijayakrishna of Ameerpet, Silveru Sarath from Adilabad district, Bengaluru-based advocate Kaushik Ravi, T. Arjun Reddy of Puppalaguda, and the woman.
Investigators said the probe is continuing to determine the source of the drugs and the circumstances leading to the firing incident during the raid. Meanwhile, the MP’s quick release on bail has drawn attention to the legal provisions that distinguish between drug consumption and trafficking under the NDPS Act.
