HC allows KTR`s lawyer to witness ACB interrogation
Telangana HC allows KTR's counsel to observe examination through library window for transparency
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court has allowed an advocate to accompany BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao to the ACB office on Thursday, when the latter appears before the investigating officer in the Formula E Race case.
However, the court made it clear that Rama Rao’s advocate J. Ramchander Rao must sit outside the examination room, where his client would be inquired. The court also directed the ACB officials to ensure that the examination process could be visible to the accompanying advocate and barred the advocate from hearing the examination.
The High Court also refused to issue any directions to ACB officials for audio and video recording of the process of Rama Rao`s examination. The court made it clear that if Rama Rao encounters any violations during the examination, he can come to the court.
The directions were given by Justice K. Lakshman on Wednesday after hearing the Lunch Motion writ petition filed by Rama Rao, who challenged the ACB’s refusal to allow an advocate to accompany him when he appears before the investigating officer at the ACB office.
On January 6, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (CIU), ACB Hyderabad, issued a notice to Rama Rao directing him to appear before him on Thursday at the ACB office. Rama Rao, however, requested the court to allow his advocate to accompany him as he expressed apprehension of the ruling Congress influencing the inquiry process.
After finding out the structural plan of the ACB office and its examination room, the High Court allowed Rama Rao’s counsel to sit in the Library at ACB office and to witness the examination process through the closed glass window.
Additional Advocate-General Tera Rajanikanth Reddy, appearing for ACB, objected to it. The court, however, wondered what was his problem if the court allowed such a facility and observed that the petitioner might have an apprehension of the ACB using third degree methods.
The judge, while adjourning the petition to a day after Sankranti vacation, gave liberty to the petitioner to approach the High Court, if at all there was any deviation in the implementation of the court’s order.