SC quashes AP plea on ex-ministers

Vijayawada: A special leave petition filed by the AP government in the Supreme Court on Monday, which sought cancellation of anticipatory bail to former ministers P. Narayana, L. Ramesh, L. Rajasekhar and K.P.V. Anjani Kumar in a case of ring road design, was quashed by the top court.

The Supreme Court asked the AP CID to approach the AP High Court if the accused were not cooperating in the probe and seek cancellation of their anticipatory bail in the High Court.

A division bench, comprising Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice B. Nagarathna, issued the directions.

The case pertains to anomalies in the design of the master plan for the state’s capital city of Amaravati, and more specifically, the alignment of the inner ring road in the master plan.

The apex court said that the observations of the AP HC would not have an adverse bearing on the ongoing inquiry by the CID in the case.

AP government’s senior counsel Harin Raval submitted that the AP HC, in its order granting anticipatory bail, noted that prosecution initiated under relevant sections of the APCRDA Act was not legally correct.

He submitted that the AP HC erroneously deemed the case taking into account a six-year delay, but that the inner ring road was notified only in 2018.

He informed the apex court that though there were specific details of offences committed by the accused, the AP HC noted erroneously that there was no material against the accused.

He submitted to the apex court that the accused were not responding to the investigation agency after the AP HC granted anticipatory bail to them.