Amaravati: CBI registers case on 17 for anti-judiciary remarks

Amaravati: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against 17 people, including one unknown, over their "abusive, life-threatening and intimidating postings" in social media against the judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered on November 11 based on the complaint filed by High Court registrar general B Rajasekhar.

The High Court had on October 12 ordered a probe by the CBI into such postings against the judges. The HC bench comprising Justices Rakesh Kumar and J Uma Devi had directed the CBI to submit a report in a sealed cover in eight weeks and posted the case to December 14 for further hearing.

The High Court had asked the CBI to examine whether the attacks on judiciary were made as a result of a "larger conspiracy" and, if so, take appropriate action against the culprits "irrespective of the post and position."

Accordingly, the CBI office in Visakhapatnam registered the case under various Sections, including 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. While 16 of the accused have been named, the 17th one has been marked as 'unknown.' These cases were initially registered by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh but the High Court expressed serious displeasure over its investigation in its October 12 order.

The court noted that the Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and the Deputy Chief Minister had also not restrained themselves in making "scathing remarks" against the Judiciary. "Member of Rajya Sabha, namely, Vijayasai Reddy, has joined together in a move to make scathing remarks against the High Court."

"Such comments from the key personnel who are occupying posts of prominence, authoritative and constitutional in nature, targeting the judges had severely affected the reputation of Judiciary as an independent institution. Thus, it appears that a concerted effort has been made to malign the institution, having larger conspiracy," it noted.

The court also named YSRC MP (Lok Sabha) Nandigam Suresh, former MLA Amanchi Krishna Mohan, standing counsel for the AP Assembly Metta Chandrasekhar Rao and others in the case and found fault with the CID that no proper action, as mandated under Code of Criminal Procedure, has been taken against the accused till date.