New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday said that one has to be sensitive and restraint should be maintained when somebody holds high office when the top court was dealing with a plea seeking transfer of the trial in the 2015 cash-for-vote case against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy outside the state.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan remarked that this issue should be dealt sensitively and said that for somebody who holds such a high office, some restraint is expected from them.
Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy’s counsel and Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi stated that the CM had issued an apology over his statement against the top court order granting bail to K Kavitha. The top court had taken a strong exception to Reddy’s statement over the top court granting bail to Kavitha. A day after Revanth Reddy expressed an unconditional apology and said he regretted the statements reflected in the press reports. He also said he has the highest regard and full faith in the Indian judiciary.
Meanwhile, today Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram, appearing for the petitioners, said that the Telangana Chief Minister was also holding the home portfolio and none of the investigative agency officers have been examined in the matter. He also apprised that the court decision related to it has been taken by the home ministry.
Senior advocate Rohatgi for Reddy said the 25 witnesses had already been examined and half of the trial was almost done. Senior Advocate Sundaram countered and said none of them were material witnesses.
Meanwhile, the court was apprised of the interlocutory application file by the petitioner, which was raised by Revanth and has encouraged the Telangana Congress party to circulate the posters/banners to lower the dignity of the court in depicting the order copy of the top court and pictures of the leaders of a few political parties by creating confusion in the minds of the general public about the independence of the judiciary.
The top court had also asked Revanth to file a reply on the issue in two weeks and adjourn the matter.
The top court also remarked that the court and lawyers are dragged by the publishing photos of lawyers.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court was irked over Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s statement that he gave after the top court granted bail to BRS Leader Kavitha’s bail plea. The top court also remarked that the judiciary doesn’t interfere in the sphere of the legislature and the same respect applies to the legislature too.
Revanth Reddy reportedly raised doubts over Kavitha getting bail in five months when Manish Sisodia got it after 15 months and Kejriwal is yet to get it.
The bench said that it is not bothered about someone criticising, but they will keep performing the duties as per their conscience. The top court also questioned whether it would pass the order in consultation with a political party. Warning the CM for his statement, the top court also commented that “the trial may take place outside the state if the Telangana Chief Minister does not have respect for the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country.” The top court further said that “there should be mutual respect for institutions.”
The court was dealing with a plea filed by Guntakandla Reddy and others seeking a transfer of trial from Telangana to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
In the plea filed through advocate P Mohith Rao, Guntakandla Reddy said, “That most of the prosecution witnesses were examined in Chief and the Accused No. 1 (Revanth Reddy), being the Chief and Home Minister for the State of Telangana, can directly influence the de facto complainant and officers, pressurising them to defer/resile from their earlier statements and further to depose false and there is every possibility that the officers/de facto complainant will resile/defer from their earlier statements or will depose falsely under the threat.”
According to the petition, Revanth was a former Member of the Telugu Desam Party and won the Legislative Assembly election for the terms 2009-14 and 2014-18 from Kodangal Assembly Constituency. Having been elected as an MLA from the Telugu Desam Party, Accused No. 1 offered a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh as advance as directed by his former boss N Chandrababu Naidu (former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) to Elvis Stephenson (complainant) to abstain from casting his vote for the biennial election to be held in June 2015 or to vote in favour of the TDP party.
It was alleged Revanth, along with other accused, had committed a cognisable offence to lure away the vote bank of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi Party (formerly known as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Party) and to see that the representative of the Telugu Desam Party wins in the biennial election to be held in June 2015. (ANI)
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