Andhra Pradesh HC to decide today on Pinnelli’s anticipatory bail plea
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has reserved its verdict for Tuesday on Macherla MLA Pinnellii Ramakrishna Reddy’s plea for anticipatory bail.
A single judge bench headed by Justice Venkata Jyothirmai Pratapa held the hearing here on Monday on an implead- petition filed by advocate Posani Venkateswarlu on behalf of petitioners/complainants Namburi Seshagiri Rao and Cherukuri Siromani.
He argued that the legislator’s criminal history must be taken into consideration and allowing the accused to enter the counting centre on the counting would not be good.
If the legislator was granted anticipatory bail, he would threaten the witnesses and even tamper with the evidence, the court was told on behalf of the petitioners.
Public prosecutor for the police argued that there was a chance the legislator would resort to violence at the time of counting of votes as he broke the EVMs on the day of polling. The legislator was involved in nine cases and even flouted the court directions and evaded the police vigil, the court heard.
He added, “The police filed a memo in the court at 8pm on May 23, stating that the legislator was an accused in the attack on CI Narayana Swamy.”
Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy’s counsel Niranjan Reddy submitted to the court that his client was supposed to appoint agents for counting of votes on June 4 and sought temporary relief from his arrest. He argued that though the HC had given protection to the legislator from arrest in a case of breaking the EVMs, the police subsequently booked several cases against him “in order to arrest him.”
He urged the court to give an interim order providing the legislator protection from the arrest up to June 6. After hearing both the parties, the court decided to deliver its order on Tuesday.
