Revanth’s bail plea put off to June 26

FSL submits its preliminary report to the ACB court

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned the next hearing on the bail petition of TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy in the ‘cash-for-vote’ case to June 26. When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, Advocate General Ramakrishna Reddy said the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) wanted to file an additional counter in the case and was yet to get the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report and therefore, sought four days’ time.

However, Revanth Reddy's lawyer and senior counsel Siddarth Lotra raised strong objection and said the TDP MLA and two other accused - Sebastian and Uday Simha - were lodged under the judicial custody for the last 24 days and had been cooperating with the investigating agency.

Therefore, he said Revanth Reddy should be granted bail and promised that he would extend full cooperation to the ACB and fulfill all bail conditions. He said the ACB had filed the same counter which the agency had filed in ACB court. The ACB lawyers maintained that since some suspects were issued notices in the case, it was not advisable to grant Revanth Reddy bail at this stage. The judge granted two days time and posted the next hearing to Friday.

The ACB, in its counter, opposed the bail petitions on the ground that bail at this stage could hamper the investigations into the case as the accused might try to influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence. It also informed the court that the fourth accused Jerusalem Mathaiah was still absconding and hiding in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The court was told that arrest and questioning of Mathaiah could help the ACB unravel the case.

Meanwhile, the High Court also adjourned till Thursday hearing on Mathaiah's petition to delete his name from the first information report (FIR). The ACB opposed Mathaiah’s petition and conveyed to the court that he was a key factor in the case and that his examination was necessary for further investigations.

Revanth Reddy, deputy leader of TDP in Telangana Legislative Assembly, was arrested by the ACB on May 31 when he was trying to give Rs 50 lakh as bribe to nominated legislator Elvis Stephenson to induce him to vote for TDP-BJP candidate in Telangana State Legislative Council elections.

Revanth Reddy’s two aides were also arrested in the trap laid by the ACB on a complaint by Stephenson. The entire episode was also recorded on a camera. Meanwhile, the FSL which analysed the video and audio tapes and the mobile phones of the accused on Wednesday submitted its preliminary report to the ACB court.

It also examined the audio tape of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu’s alleged telephonic conversation with Stephenson. The audio tape aired on some television channels led to tension between the two States with the TDP charging TRS government of tapping phones of Naidu, his Cabinet colleagues and key leaders. The ACB filed a memo in the court, seeking a copy of the FSL report. The agency will decide its next move on the basis of findings of the FSL.