On Thursday, the judiciary revealed during the oral diagnosis that it intends to appoint a Special Prosecutor for the trial in the 2015 cash-for-vote scam case in which Telangana A Revanth Reddy is a contemnor.
A Bench headed by Jud Gavai BR noted that it would such order formally at 2 PM after complying with formalities with the judiciary of Telangana state.
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by BRS MLA Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy, who sought a shift of the trial from the state of Telangana to other parts of the country.
CA Sundaram, a senior advocate, suggested that those under investigation have openly intimidated police officers who would be investigating on returning to power in the State. The trial would never be impartial since Mr. Revanth Reddy was ever the chief minister or home minister of the Telangana State.
There is no doubt the Justice Gavai had in mind that the Telangana courts were being disrespectful to the Supreme Court. The intention of the appointment of the Special Prosecutor is well understood—this is intended to instill public trust in prosecution. However, the court noted that it didn’t want to deal with the petition which Jagadish Reddy placed for the transfer/dismissal of the case towards appointing a Special Prosecutor.
On May 31, 2015, Mr. Revanth Reddy also of then Telugu Desam Party was caught red-handed by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) while allegedly offering a ₹50 lakh bribe to n MLA Elvis Stephenson, to favor TDP candidate Vem Narendar Reddy in the upcoming elections of legislative council. In July 2015, ACB filed a charge sheet against Reddy and others after a month under the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code respectively.
On the 5th of January the apex court , while considering Mr .Revanth reddy’s separate petition regarding the order of the high court dismissing his freshly filed appeal against the dismissal of provisions against the trial of cash for vote scam proceedings in an AC court had deferred the hearing till February.
Mr. Reddy has approached the Supreme Court, against the order dated 1june 2021 of the high court, whereby his plea questioning the order regarding jurisdiction of the Special Court with regard to the trial of the case was unsuccessfully appealed.
