Telangana mantri’s son under lens in luxury watch smuggling row | India News

HYDERABAD: Chennai Customs has issued summons to Ponguleti Harsha Reddy, son of Telangana revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, for his alleged involvement in the purchase of smuggled luxury watches worth Rs 1.7 crore. The watches – Patek Philipe 5740 and Breguet 2759 – were seized from an Indian national returning from Singapore on Feb 5.
Harsha Reddy, a director in a family-owned company, was scheduled to appear before customs officials on April 4, but requested it be deferred as he was down with dengue.He has agreed to depose after April 27 as per medical advice.

Investigations indicate that Harsha Reddy had reportedly acquired the watches from Hong Kong-based Indian luxury watch dealer Muhammed Faherdeen Mubeen, through an intermediary, Alokam Naveen Kumar, who confessed to facilitating the sale through cryptocurrency and hawala transactions.
Denying the allegations, Harsha Reddy, who operates realty firm Raghava Projects, said: “It is completely baseless. I am unwell right now.” The Chennai Customs investigation revealed that the luxury watches were confiscated from Mubeen, who arrived in Chennai from Singapore. Harsha Reddy is said to have been identified as the buyer of the watches through Naveen Kumar.
Madras high court had dismissed an anticipatory bail plea filed by Naveen Kumar, suggesting that the total value of luxury watches smuggled over time could exceed Rs 100 crore. The judicial magistrate in Alandur has directed Customs to investigate Harsha Reddy and arrest Naveen Kumar.
Srinivasa Reddy was not available for comment.