AP CM’s role being investigated: ACB

The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) informed the High Court at Hyderabad that it is still making thorough investigation into the cash-for-vote scam on the role played by the accused persons in the crime, including the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu.

Investigating officer M Malla Reddy made these submissions to the Court in the form of a counter affidavit in the petition by Naidu seeking to quash the orders of the ACB court against him based on a private complaint by the YSRCP MLA A Ramakrishna Reddy. The MLA also filed his counter affidavit in the petition.

The case came up before Justice Sunil Choudhary on Wednesday and the counsel for Naidu sought time to file his reply to the two counter affidavits.

Accordingly the judge posted the matter to October 27h. It may be recalled that on September 2, the High Court while staying the order passed by the ACB Court directing the probe agency to investigate into the role of Naidu in the scam, directed the respondent/complainant MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy and Telangana ACB to file counter affidavits in the matter.

Aggrieved with the stay order, the MLA moved the Supreme Court and the latter ordered that the case before the High Court has to be decided within four weeks from October 21.

The MLA, in his counter affidavit, submitted that he has locus standi in lodging a complaint against Naidu in the cash-for-vote scam.

Any person of this country has a right to inform the courts about any criminal activity as was held by the Supreme Court in Subramanyam Swamy vs Manmohan Singh case.

He further argued that the petitioner has no right to file the quash petition before the high court.