HYDERABAD: The SIT probing the TRS MLAs poaching case on Wed-nesday challenged the dismissal of its memo in the ACB court in which it had listed as accused BJP general secretary BL Santhosh, Jaggu Swamy, BDJS president Tushar Vellappally and B Srinivas, an advocate from Karimnagar in the Telangana High Court.
Taking up the plea, Justice D Nagarjuna issued notices to the four proposed accused and directed the A-G to serve copies of the criminal revision case on all parties, and adjourned the case for hearing on Thursday as the first case.
Appearing for B Srinivas, senior counsel and former BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao raised objection to the court on the grounds that the copies of the criminal revision case were not served on him, despite the fact that he argued for his client in the ACB court.
Ramchander Rao informed the court that the SIT had prepared the lunch motion petition in haste, without even serving a copy thus denying Srinivas of the chance to review the contents of the plea. He said that this was a breach of natural justice norms.
Senior counsel advised the court that the issue cannot be adjudicated without the issuing of notice to Srinivas, especially since the entire matter has been seized of by the High Court. Concurring with the argument, Justice Nagarjuna stated that the proposed accused should be put on notice after the SIT has submitted a memo.
Arguing for the SIT, Advocate-General BS Prasad informed the court that the order of the ACB court does not stand for a moment because there is obvious illegality and therefore it must be quashed at the threshold itself.
“The entire problem relating to the TRS MLAs poaching case is seized of by the High Court and the Supreme Court. How can the ACB court reject the memo produced by the SIT at this point?” he wondered.