HYDERABAD: Telangana High Court judge Justice Kanneganti Lalitha on Thursday ordered the Commissioner of Police (CP), Hyderabad City, to take alleged casino dealer Chikoti Praveen Kumar’s plea for police protection into consideration within a week.The court heard Kumar’s petition, in which he urged the Hyderabad CP to order police to provide him security as he saw threat to him and members of his family from unknown persons.
Senior counsel Chandrasen Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, informed the court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was investigating the money laundering case filed against his client under FEMA, and that the petitioner appeared before the investigating agency and was cooperating with it.“The print and electronic media have created an unnecessary publicity frenzy by constantly reporting the investigation against him and branding him a “Casino Don”.
Further, he argued that the petitioner had nothing to do with any gambling activities and faulted leaking of identities of high-profile individuals and politicians allegedly linked to the case.Citing GO 685, he said, “Any individual who apprehends a threat to his life or the lives of his family members and approaches the police, shall be provided security.”
“As a result of the wide coverage given by the print and electronic media to the case, the petitioner has received threats from unknown individuals, prompting him to seek protection against such elements,” Chandrasen contended.After hearing the arguments, the court disposed of the petition by instructing the Hyderabad CP to examine the request within a week.