The Supreme Court on Friday refused to cancel the bail granted by Andhra Pradesh High Court to Telangana TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy, the prime accused in a `Cash For Vote' case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice H. L. Dattu and justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy dismissed the plea of Telangana Government’s Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) seeking cancellation of the bail to Mr. Reddy and two co-accused, Bishop Harry Sebastian and R. Uday Simha, by the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on June 30.
The High Court had directed Mr.Reddy and the two others to furnish a personal bond of Rs. 5 lakh each and two sureties of similar amount, besides asking them to cooperate with the investigating agency ACB.
Mr. Reddy was also asked to surrender his passport and not to leave his Assembly constituency Kodangal.
Earlier, the special court for ACB cases had rejected the bail pleas of Mr.Reddy and the two others. Subsequently, Mr.Reddy and the two other accused had moved the High Court on June 15 seeking bail.
Mr.Reddy had contended that it was a politically motivated case and he was being falsely implicated.
However, Telangana Government opposed the bail applications stating that the source of Rs. 4.5 crore funds was yet to be ascertained and apprehended tampering of evidence.
High Court Judge Justice Raja Elango, had earlier said that there was some material to register the case, but wondered why the police officers had not recorded reasons for arrest in writing as contemplated under the law, when the maximum sentence in this case is less than seven years.
Telangana’s nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint with the ACB alleging that he was offered Rs. 5 crore by the TDP MLA to vote in favour of a Telugu Desam MLC nominee in Telangana Legislative Council polls held on June 1.
Subsequently, the ACB had arrested Mr. Revanth Reddy and the two others on May 31, while they were allegedly paying a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh to Stephenson.
A war of words had broken out between the two states after the `Cash For Vote' case came to light, with Mr.Naidu alleging that his phone was tapped, even as a total of 87 cases were registered by the AP Police. However, Telangana Government and the ACB had denied tapping of the phones of Mr. Naidu and others.
