HYDERABAD: Dissatisfied with the report submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the attack on YSRC president Jagan Mohan Reddy, a division bench of Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the Central government to submit a report in a sealed cover informing its decision as to whether the incident that took place on Visakhapatnam airport premises on October 25, would come under the scheduled offence or not as per the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. The report of the Home Ministry does not have any such details, the bench said.
The bench was passing this order in a petition filed by Jagan seeking probe by any appropriate independent agency not under the control of AP government. Jagan also filed an additional affidavit seeking directions to the Central government for conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident. He also sought directions to the AP government to forthwith forward the case report and information to Centre for the purpose. Central agencies like NIA has got the power to probe such incidents, he added. The bench was also hearing the PIL filed by YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy from Mangalagiri constituency seeking to grant stay on all further proceedings in the investigation being conducted by the AP police. The petitioner MLA sought directions to the Centre to prosecute the State DGP, SIT incharge, Visakhapatnam police commissioner and SHO of airport police station. Earlier, another PIL was also filed by B Anil Kumar and another on airport security lapse issue.
On earlier occasion, the bench directed the Home Ministry to file report before it informing whether the said offence was a scheduled offence under the NIA Act.Pursuant to earlier direction of the court, assistant solicitor general K Lakshman, appearing on behalf of the Centre, submitted the report in a sealed cover before the court. After perusing the report, the bench expressed its dissatisfaction with the contents of the report. Finding fault with the Centre, the bench said that the government has three options to take decision either by getting report from the State government, or on the basis of material received from other sources or getting information by itself on the issue.
The bench made it clear that it was for the Centre to take a decision on the issue, and the Courts were not advisors to the government. In reply, the ASG said that he would get the above details from Home Ministry.The bench said as per the guidelines of the NIA Act, the Central department concerned should take a decision on the issue and to inform the same to the Court in a sealed cover. The bench posted the matter to next week for further hearing.