The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request to transfer the 2015 cash-for-vote case trial involving Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy from Telangana to Bhopal. This decision comes amidst discussions on the implications of political influence on judicial proceedings.
The bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, also issued a directive to CM Reddy, instructing him not to interfere with the prosecution’s functions in any manner. Additionally, the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been ordered not to report directly to the Chief Minister concerning the case’s prosecution.
During the hearing, Reddy’s counsel argued that the plea for the trial’s transfer was motivated by political interests. The Supreme Court previously expressed strong displeasure over comments made by Reddy regarding the court’s decision to grant bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
The justices noted an affidavit in which CM Reddy apologized to the court, stating they did not wish to pursue further sanctions but issued a caution to all constitutional functionaries—including the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary—to respect their defined roles within the Constitution.
The court emphasized that while fair criticism of verdicts is acceptable, it is crucial not to overstep the boundaries of respect and protocol.
This ruling was part of a plea by BRS MLA Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy and three others, who had requested the trial’s relocation out of concerns over local influence and fairness.
Revanth Reddy, originally a member of the Telugu Desam Party, was caught by the ACB on May 31, 2015, allegedly handing over Rs 50 lakh to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, to secure support for TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the legislative council elections. Following their arrests, Reddy and other involved parties were subsequently granted bail.
