This statement came as the bench addressed comments made by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, related to the alleged Delhi excise scam. Although Reddy had apologized, the court expressed caution, reminding all constitutional functionaries to respect their designated roles.
New Delhi: (On Sep 20): The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of mutual respect among the three branches of the Constitution legislature, executive, and judiciary warning that “unwarranted comments” could lead to unnecessary friction.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan acknowledged the value of fair criticism of judicial decisions but cautioned against overstepping boundaries, particularly when commenting on court rulings.
“We do not wish to proceed further in this matter, but we caution all constitutional functionaries—the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary—to carry out their duties within the domains assigned to them by the Constitution,”
the bench stated.
The court added,
“It is anticipated that all three wings of the Constitution demonstrate mutual respect for each other’s roles. Unwarranted comments only serve to create unnecessary friction.” These remarks arose during the hearing of a plea regarding the transfer of the 2015 cash-for-votes case from Telangana to Bhopal, in which Reddy is an accused.
This statement came as the bench addressed comments made by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, related to the alleged Delhi excise scam. Although Reddy had apologized, the court expressed caution, reminding all constitutional functionaries to respect their designated roles.
While the court opted not to take further action against Reddy, it underscored that such remarks could generate unnecessary conflict. The comments arose during a hearing on a petition to transfer the 2015 cash-for-votes case, involving Reddy, from Telangana to Bhopal. The court denied the transfer request and instructed Reddy to refrain from interfering with the ongoing legal proceedings.
The 2015 charge sheet filed by the ACB against Revanth Reddy and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) included claims of substantial evidence, such as audio and video recordings and the recovery of the Rs 50 lakh bribe amount.
In an earlier hearing on August 29, the court expressed strong disapproval of Reddy’s comments, which implied a “deal” between the BJP and BRS for Kavitha’s bail.
On August 30, Reddy clarified his remarks were misconstrued and issued an “unconditional regret” on social media, reaffirming his respect for the judiciary.
