Hyderabad:In a relief to Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, the Telangana High Court quashed the proceedings filed against him for the crime registered during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
G. Prasad Kumar, who served as an MLA until 2018, along with Konda Vishwesheshwar Reddy, T. Ram Mohan Reddy, former MLA Pargi, Pilot Rohit Reddy, MLA Tandur, A. Sudhakar Reddy, Congress Town president of Vikarabad district, and others, participated in a “Hunger Strike” opposite the RDO office in Vikarabad without obtaining prior permission from the concerned officials, thereby violating the Model Code of Conduct during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Based on the complaint, the SHO Vikarabad registered the crime against the petitioner and others, punishable under Section 188 of the IPC. The police filed a charge sheet in court under Section 188 with the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Vikarabad. Later, the case was transferred to the Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for the trial of excise cases at Manoranjan Complex, Nampally, Hyderabad.
H. Prahlad Reddy, counsel appearing for Prasad Kumar on Monday, argued that his client was not involved in the allegations made by the complainant, as they are false because he never participated in the said “Hunger Strike.” Further, he contended that the allegations in the complaint and the statements of 161 witnesses, even if accepted, do not prima facie constitute any offense or establish a case. Considering these arguments, the court quashed the crime.
