VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to move the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s interim orders, staying further probe in a case registered against former advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas and 12 others in the Amaravati land scam and gagging the media from reporting on contents of the FIR against the accused.
This was announced by Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, advisor to the State government (public affairs). The High Court had on Tuesday evening issued the interim orders on an application filed by Dammalapati Srinivas, hours after the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a case against him and 12 others for alleged insider trading in Amaravati under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the IPC.
Terming the HC orders unfortunate, unusual, unprecedented and surprising, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said it gives the impression that the law is one for the influential and another for the common man. “We will definitely go to the Supreme Court. If we have to go by the HC orders, none will be able to speak on Amaravati scam. Gagging the media, executive, legislature and investigation agencies... this is a serious issue. People, intellectuals and legal experts must speak up,” he remarked and asked whose interests ought to be protected by the judiciary.
“It is understandable if the HC questions in a case where a person’s liberty is suppressed or innocent people are deprived of their rights or if the vulnerable are oppressed. How could the media be gagged? It seems like an over-reaction... it appears Dammalapati’s advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued that his client and daughters of a Supreme Court judge are named.. if they had done something .. shouldn’t such deeds be questioned? Shouldn’t investigating agencies take up investigation? Is there a different law for one set of people?” he questioned.
Sajjala denied the government is acting in a vindictive manner and said that if the TDP talks in such a manner, it is understandable as the party is the YSRC’s political rival. First of all, it must be found if a crime took place, he pointed out and wondered how courts could come to a pre-meditated conclusion that it was a vindictive probe.
YSRC MP raises issue in Lok Sabha
YSRC MP Mithun Reddy raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and urged the Centre to let the CBI probe the Amaravati land scam. Referring to the HC gag order, he said it was because the former advocate general is there and the kith and kin of a judge are there
‘Different law for one set of people?’
“Shouldn’t such deeds be questioned? Shouldn’t investigating agencies take up investigation? Is there a different law for one set of people?” Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy asked, and wondered how courts could come to a pre-meditated conclusion