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  India   Cash-for-vote scam: Supreme Court relief to Andhra Pradesh CM

Cash-for-vote scam: Supreme Court relief to Andhra Pradesh CM

Published : Sep 24, 2016, 2:59 am IST
Updated : Sep 24, 2016, 2:59 am IST

In a huge relief, the Supreme Court on Friday declined to interfere with an interim order of the Hyderabad high court, staying the order passed by the principal special judge for anti-corruption burea

In a huge relief, the Supreme Court on Friday declined to interfere with an interim order of the Hyderabad high court, staying the order passed by the principal special judge for anti-corruption bureau (ACB) cases in “cash for vote scam”, for a probe into the complaint filed by YSR Congress MLA A. Ramakrishna Reddy against AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.

After hearing senior counsel Shekar Naphade for Mr Reddy and Siddharth Luthra for the CM, Mr Naidu, a bench of Justices S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan said, “In view of the fact that the special leave petition is directed against an interim order, both the counsel agree that the matter may be decided finally by the high court in four weeks.

Accordingly, we request the HC to dispose of the matter in four weeks peremptorily.” Mr Luthra, counsel for Mr Naidu, contended that complaint was filed against him by the MLA who belongs to the Opposition with the intent of political vendetta. He argued that the MLA had no connection with the crime and that he is neither the informant nor a witness to the crime and thus has no locus standi. He pointed out that the MLA filed the complaint before ACB court after completion of investigation and filing of charge sheet by the ACB. Mr Naphade, counsel for Mr Ramakrishna Reddy, said reports from forensic labs in Mumbai and London had confirmed that the voice recorded in the conversations was that of Mr Naidu. He said there is ample evidence and materials against Mr Naidu for proceeding with the investigation but the high court had stayed the probe.

He said that in the teeth of the available evidence, the police cannot soft pedal the investigation, which must be allowed to be completed.

The case relates to allegations that TDP leaders had tried to bribe the MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi to vote in favour of TDP-backed candidate in the elections to the MLCs. Telangana ACB on May 31, 2015, had arrested TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy and a few others in Hyderabad. They were accused of trying to bribe nominated Anglo-Indian MLA Elvis Stephenson Rs 5 crore so as to make him vote for the TD candidate in the MLC elections. The chief minister is in the thick of the controversy as a taped telephonic conversation allegedly shows Chandrababu Naidu interacting with nominated member Elvis Stephenson.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi