VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court Wednesday initiated contempt proceedings against AP Crime Investigation Department (CID) chief P V Sunil Kumar and the Station House Officer of Mangalagiri unit of CID, for their failure to shift rebel YSRC MP K Raghu Rama Krishnam Raju to Ramesh Hospitals for medical examination.
The CID had arrested the MP on sedition charges and based on a letter written by the MP’s counsel that Raju was tortured in police custody, the court directed that the MP be examined by a medical board of Guntur GGH and later be shifted to Ramesh Hospitals.However, the CID, after examination by the medical board, shifted Raju to Guntur prison. The MP is presently under medical examination at the Army Hospital in Secunderabad following a Supreme Court order.
When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, the Bench comprising Justice C Praveen Kumar and Justice K Lalitha sought to know from Additional Advocate General P Sudhakar Reddy, representing the CID, as to why the orders of the High Court and CID court asking the agency to shift the MP to Ramesh Hospitals were not complied with.
Sudhakar Reddy said that the orders of the magistrate to shift Raju to Ramesh Hospital was against the law. The Bench insisted on a reply from Sudhakar Reddy as to why its orders were not implemented and said the investigating agency should have challenged the orders of the CID court in the High Court if they were against the law.
Sudhakar Reddy said that how can the orders issued at 12 midnight be complied with. Justice Lalitha asked as to why the orders were not implemented in the next day when they have time till 1.30 pm after which the Supreme Court ordered shifting of the MP to Army Hospital in Telangana.
Justice Lalitha said that the non-compliance to its orders amounted to contempt and initiated contempt proceedings against the CID officials. Asking the officials to file their reply, the bench posted the matter to further hearing on June 16.
The Bench also asked the superintendent of Guntur GGH, who headed the medical board that examined the MP, to give an explanation as to why there was a delay in submitting the report within the time specified by the court.