Cash-for-vote case: SC to appoint independent special public prosecutor

The court was hearing an appeal by former minister and BRS Suryapet legislator G. Jagadish Reddy seeking the transfer of the case to Bhopal as Revanth Reddy has become the Chief Minister of Telangana and police and prosecution will be in the hands of the state government.

Opposing it, senior advocate Aryama Sundara, appearing for Jagadish Reddy, argued that the ACB was under the control of Revanth Reddy, who was the main accused in the case. The senior counsel said that witnesses and investigation officers in the case had not been examined. Also, the state government had changed its stance on the possibility of Revanth Reddy influencing witnesses

Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing other petitioners, referred to the petitioners' apprehensions about the trial in the light of the Telangana government's manner of prosecution and certain statements made by Revanth Reddy with regard to police officials as well as the Supreme Court.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Revanth Reddy and other accused, and Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the

Telangana government, objected to the contentions raised by the petitioners. Guruswamy submitted that there was no change in the investigation officers and the trial was stayed in August 2021 by a Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
On hearing the parties, Justice Gavai initially expressed reservations about entertaining such petitions based only on apprehensions, as they may amount to ‘disbelieving judicial officers’.

"From 2021, the matter is pending there. Stay is operating. You (petitioners) don't take any steps. Only after the 2024 elections are over, you file such a petition," the judge said.

Justice Viswanathan enquired from Guruswamy about steps taken to show that the government was interested in prosecuting Revanth Reddy (such as seeking vacation or stay on trial).

In response, the senior counsel said, "Wherever there has been a quashing, the ACB has challenged the quashing, including the one before milords."
After lunch, the bench adjourned the petition for transfer of trial to Monday.