‘Disconnect between prosecution and govt counsel regarding chargesheet date discernible’: SC seeks Telangana DGP's presence

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana's Director General of Police to be present before it either physically or through virtual mode, while expressing its surprise that the state counsel could not answer its queries regarding the dates of filing of the chargesheets in a matter.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti was hearing a plea by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Vatti Janaiah Yadav. He was earlier associated with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

“Appearing for the State of Telangana, Devina Sehgal, learned counsel submits that the chargesheet has been filed in all the cases. When the court wanted to know when the chargesheets were filed, the government counsel expressed want of information," the bench said in its order.

The bench said the prosecution and arguing counsel were not in sync with case details regarding when the chargesheet was filed.

“We are indeed surprised by the response of the government counsel as the respective dates of filing of the chargesheets should either be readily accessible or the instructing officer should have indicated the relevant dates of the chargesheets together when the information was given that chargesheets were filed. The disconnect between the prosecution and the government counsel is clearly discernible," the bench said in its order.

The court fixed the matter for further hearing on October 4.

“The DGP, State of Telangana should be available to participate in the proceeding either physically or through virtual mode, on the next date. Before the next date, the details be filed by the state’s counsel,” the bench ordered.

Yadav approached the apex court last year claiming criminal persecution by the then BRS-led government after he quit BRS and joined BSP.

In October last year, the court had sought the response from the state government and provided Yadav interim protection from arrest in FIRs against him.