Revanth Reddy, who was with the Telugu Desam Party at the time, was arrested on May 31, 2015, for allegedly offering a Rs 50 lakh bribe to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, to secure his support for TDP candidate Vem Narendar Reddy in the legislative council elections.
NEW DELHI: Today (Sept 20): The Supreme Court directed Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to refrain from interfering with the prosecution in the 2015 cash-for-vote case involving him and others. The court also denied a request to transfer the trial from Telangana to Bhopal.
Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan ruled that the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should not report to the Chief Minister regarding the prosecution.
Revanth Reddy, who was with the Telugu Desam Party at the time, was arrested on May 31, 2015, for allegedly offering a Rs 50 lakh bribe to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, to secure his support for TDP candidate Vem Narendar Reddy in the legislative council elections.
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 addition to Revanth Reddy, the ACB arrested several others, all of whom were subsequently granted bail.
Last month, the Supreme Court expressed strong disapproval of Reddy’s remarks after granting bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case. The court emphasized the need for mutual respect among the three branches of the Constitution.
The bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai, P K Mishra, and K V Viswanathan, acknowledged these concerns but initially expressed reservations about discrediting judicial officers based on mere apprehensions.
The bench remarked-
“Only on apprehension, how can we entertain…If we entertain such petitions, we will be disbelieving our judicial officers.”
Senior advocate C Aryama Sundaram, representing Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy and others, argued that a fair trial in Telangana could be compromised because the Chief Minister has publicly commented on the case and, as Home Minister, wields considerable influence over the state’s law enforcement apparatus.
Sundaram emphasized the principle of natural justice, stating-
“There is a rule of natural justice that no person should be a judge in his own cause.”
In response to these arguments, the Supreme Court indicated its intention to appoint an independent public prosecutor to ensure the trial proceeds with impartiality. The bench decided to consult with colleagues from Telangana before passing an official order at 2 pm.
The bench acknowledged an affidavit submitted by Reddy, in which he apologized to the court, and stated that it did not wish to pursue the matter further.
The bench cautioned that
“while fair criticism is acceptable, one must be careful when commenting on court orders”.
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