Cash-for-vote case: SC issues notice to CM Revanth Reddy on plea to transfer trial against him

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Telangana government and its Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on a plea to shift the impending trial in the 2015 cash-for-votes against the Congress leader.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta sought a response in the matter within four weeks on the plea by GuntaKandla Jagadish Reddy and three others.

The plea filed through advocate P Mohith Rao sought a direction to transfer the case from Hyderabad to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh to ensure a free and fair trial.

The petitioners include a former deputy chief minister and former ministers of Telangana.

The plea claimed Reddy, who is the prime accused in the 2015 case, has become the Chief and Home Minister for the State of Telangana with 88 criminal cases pending against him.

"Under these circumstances as the accused has a direct control over the prosecution, it is understood that there cannot be any possibility for free and fair trial which is sine qua non of Article 21 of the Constitution,” the plea said.

The plea said if the trial is continued by the principal judge for trial of cases at Hyderabad, Telangana then the rule of law will be vitiated and the judicial fairness, criminal justice system would be at stake shaking the confidence of the public at large.

The two cases against which the transfer was sought are Telangana through Addl. Superintendent of Police Vs A Revanth Reddy & Ors, and Telangana through Addl Superintendent of Police Vs Sandra Venkata Veeraiah. The cases are pending for trial before a special judge in Telangana.

The plea alleged that Reddy, was a former member of Telugu Desam Party and won the Legislative assembly election for the term 2009-14 and 2014-18 from Kodangal Assembly Constituency.

“Having been elected as MLA from Telugu Desam Party, the Accused No 1 offered a bribe of Rs 50 Lakhs as advance as directed by his former boss Nara Chandra Babu Naidu (former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) to Elvis Stephenson/ de facto Complainant to abstain from casting his vote for the biennial election to be held on 01.06.2015 or to vote in favour of TDP party," the plea claimed.

It also claimed the accused no one along with others have committed a cognizable offence to lure away the vote bank of Bharat Rashtra Samithi Party, formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi party, and to see that the representative of Telugu Desam Party wins in the biennial election.