HYDERABAD/VIJAYAWADA: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking his response in a petition by YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy challenging an order of the Hyderabad High Court pertaining to cash-for-vote scam case.
In December last year, the High Court had set aside the order passed by the Special ACB Court directing the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct probe into the role of other suspects, including Naidu’s role, in the cash-for-vote scam case.
The High Court said that as the complainant is the MLA of opposition party the possibility of filing the complaint by him against the chief minister in order to take political and personal vengeance cannot be ruled out completely and the MLA has no locus standie to intervene in the crime registered by ACB by way of filing complaint. Aggrieved with the same, the MLA moved an appeal before Apex Court.
On Monday, the Apex Court bench issued notices to the respondents, who included Naidu, for filing counter affidavit in the matter, and adjourned the case.
Talking to newsmen, Ramakrishna Reddy claimed that he placed the copies of the forensic report of Naidu’s voice samples before the Apex Court to substantiate his argument.
It may be recalled that in August last year, the ACB court directed the ACB to probe into the role of other accused in the case based on a complaint by Ramakrishna Reddy. The MLA, in his complaint, alleged that the ACB has failed to probe into the role of Naidu in the cash-for-vote scam case though the audio tapes of phone conversation of Naidu and TRS nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson clearly shows the involvement of the former in the case.
In May 2015, TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy was caught red-handed by the ACB authorities while he was offering bribe to Stephenson.
Meanwhile, hours after of the Supreme Court issuing notices to Naidu, Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Sharma, who is in charge of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), had reportedly reviewed the progress of the cash-for-vote case. It is learnt that Anurag Sharma went to the ACB office and convened a meeting with the officials including the joint director A Satyanarayana.
Telangana ACB officials registered cases against TTDP MLAs A Revanth Reddy, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and others for offering Rs 50 lakh cash to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson seeking his support in favour of TTDP MLC candidate in polls.
Reacting to the issue, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu termed it as a routine and was confident that nothing would happen. He pointed out that certain cases filed against him ran for over 12 years only to vindicate him. “Around 26 cases were filed against me, but nothing could be proved. Though the courts have delivered their verdicts or set aside these cases, the Opposition parties are framing the same charges against me yet again. Nothing would happen to me,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was amused at the reaction of the chief minister and stated that the Supreme Court admitting the case against a chief minister is a major issue and cannot be taken easy. “Just like earlier, the chief minister would approach the court and get stay orders against the case,” he added.