Ponguleti’s son under lens for buying smuggled luxe watches

HYDERABAD: Amid high-pitched Lok Sabha poll campaigning, Chennai customs has issued summons to Ponguleti Harsha Reddy, son of revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, for allegedly purchasing smuggled luxury watches worth Rs 1.73 crore.
The watches — Patek Philipe 5740 and Breguet 2759 — were seized from an Indian national, Muhammed Faherdeen Mubeen, who had arrived from Singapore, at the Chennai airport on Feb 5.

Harsha Reddy, who is a director in a family-owned company, was scheduled to appear before the customs officials on April 4, but has requested the meeting to be deferred as he was down with dengue. He has agreed to depose after April 27 as per medical advice.
Investigations indicated that Harsha Reddy had acquired the watches from Hong Kong-based luxury watch dealer Muhammed Faherdeen Mubeen, through an intermediary, Alokam Naveen Kumar, who has allegedly confessed to facilitating the sale through cryptocurrency and via hawala transactions. Harsha Reddy is said to have been identified as the buyer of the luxury watches through Naveen Kumar.
Denying the allegations of buying smuggled watches, Harsha Reddy, who operates the realty firm Raghava Projects, said: “It is completely baseless. I am unwell right now.”
Madras high court had earlier dismissed an anticipatory bail plea filed by Naveen Kumar, stating that the total value of luxury watches smuggled over time by him could easily exceed Rs 100 crore. The judicial magistrate in Alandur has directed customs to investigate Harsha Reddy and arrest Naveen Kumar.
Harsha Reddy has maintained his innocence and promised to cooperate with authorities post recovery from dengue.
Minister Srinivasa Reddy was not available for comment.