Telangana HC Suspends Judicial Officer Handling Srinivas Goud Election Case
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has placed under suspension judicial officer Jaya Kumar, judge to trial criminal cases against MP/MLAs, for his alleged overenthusiastic directions in ordering the police to register a FIR against the CEO of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and eight other officers related to the election affidavit of prohibition and excise minister V. Srinivas Goud.
Upon receiving a complaint from the ECI, the registrar general of the High Court inquired into the issue and placed the report before the administrative wing. Based on the report, the High Court concluded that Jaya Kumar’s directions reflected maladministration and non- application of the mind. After initiating disciplinary proceedings, the court placed him under suspension, and asked him not to leave the city until the investigation against him was completed.
The suspension orders were sent to the Nampally magistrate court on Tuesday evening.
Jaya Kumar has delivered sensational verdicts like death sentence to a criminal, who raped and killed a nine-month baby in Warangal district. In another case he ordered the death sentence to a criminal.
Jaya Kumar had given the latest orders in a private complaint filed by one Chaluvagili Raghavendra Raju, who submitted that Srinivas Goud had tampered his 2018 election affidavit during the nomination period for Mahabubnagar assembly constituency. He accused that Goud had earlier filed an affidavit not disclosing properties belonging to his wife and later changed the election affidavit in connivance with the then returning officers.
The petitioner urged the court to lodge criminal cases against Rajiv Kumar and Sanjay Kumar, the chief election commissioner and secretary of ECI respectively, Dr. Shashank Goel , chief electoral officer of Telangana State, Ronald Ross, secretary to finance, J. Srinivasa Rao, (returning officer), IT person K. Venkatesh Goud, Mahabubnagar district collector Venkat Rao and revenue officials on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal intention, public servants furnishing false information and bribery.
The petition was heard by the Judge Jaya Kumar, who directed the Mahabubnagar police to register the crime and investigate the matter. However, police delayed in following the court orders.
When the petitioner again complained about the delay in registration of the crime, the court, headed by Jaya Kumar, ordered that the crime should be registered by that evening and placed it before the court. Subsequently, the police registered the case and recently filed the final report stating that there was no evidence on such allegations made by Raghavendra Raju.
Meanwhile, the ECI complained against Jaya Kumar’s directions. After preliminary inquiry, the court was of the view that the directions of the Judge were unusual and placed him under suspension.
