Two Congress leaders get relief in criminal case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court’s single bench of Justice Kunuru Lakshman “quashed” the proceedings in C.C.No. 281/2022 registered against Pargi MLA T Ram Mohan Reddy and Ardha Sudhakar Reddy, Viklarabadf town Congress president pending on the file of Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for trial of Excise Cases, Nampally.

The other accused in the case are Gaddam Prasad Kumar, now Speaker of the Assembly, Konda Vishwesheshwar Reddy, Chevella MP, and Pilot Rohit Reddy, MLA Tandur. Prasad Kumar has filed a separate criminal petition and got relief, while the petitions filed by the other accused, seeking the same relief are pending adjudication.

Justice Lakshman heard the petition filed by Ram Mohan Reddy and observed that the investigating officer did not follow the procedure laid down U/s.155 of CrPC; there was no reference to the petitioners and others in the chargesheet filed. The IO did not conduct investigation with regard to others, he said.

The offence occurred on March 12, 2019 at the Vikarabad Revenue Divisional office, when the petitioners along with other associates held hunger strike opposite to office thereby violating the model code of conduct of elections (2019 Lok Sabha).

M Ram Babu, who was in-charge of the flying squad in Vikarabad district during the elections complained to the Vikarabad CI on the issue; a case was registered against the petitioners. Based on the complaint, the CI registered crime No. 69/2019 against the petitioners and others, which are punishable U/s. 188 of IPC. The police filed a chargesheet in the court U/s. 188 on the file of JFCM at Vikarabad. Later it was transferred to SJFCM Nampally.