Code comes in way of GOs

​Hyderabad: The caretaker TRS government in poll-bound Telangana on Tuesday issued orders for withdrawing prosecution of over 300 people, including Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, for staging protests over statehood years ago, but kept them in abeyance within hours, citing the model code of conduct in force.

The government issued two separate orders withdrawing prosecution of over 300 people in cases filed against them by the Railway police in connection with 'rail rokos' organised during the peak of the agitation for separate Telangana between 2009 and 2012. 

Besides Rao, his son and Minister K T Rama Rao, daughter Kavitha, MP, Minister E Rajender, Legislative Council Chairman Swamy Goud and Congress star campaigner Vijayashanti and Telangana Jana Samithi chief Prof. Kodanadaram are among those prominent in the list of people against whom prosecution was sought to be withdrawn. 

DGP M Mahendar Reddy wrote a letter on May 31, 2018 and has recommended for withdrawal of prosecution against the accused involved in Kazipet Railway Police Station in connection with pro-Telangana agitations.  The cases were pending on the file of the II Metropolitan Magistrate of Railways Court, Secunderabad.

The decision was taken based on the report submitted by Superintendent of Police, Railway Police district, Secunderabad, to the Police Department. However, the government issued another order later in the day putting on hold the earlier GOs. 

In view of the Model Code of Conduct in force, the orders issued in the GOs... for withdrawal of prosecution in several crime numbers, are kept in abeyance until further orders, the latest GO said. The suspended GOs said the government after careful examination of the matter and keeping in view the judgement of the Supreme Court in Rajendra Kumar Jain Vs. 

The State (related to withdrawal of prosecution) decided to withdraw the cases pending on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court for Railways at Kazipet.

It was also decided to request the Prosecuting Officer concerned to take necessary action in accordance with law for withdrawal of prosecution against the accused people under intimation to the government, the suspended G.Os said.