New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's statement that he gave after the top court granted bail to BRS leader K Kavitha, saying that the judiciary doesn't interfere in the sphere of the legislature and the same respect applies for the legislature too.
A bench of justices of BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan criticised the statement made by the Telangana CM and remarked that a constitutional functionary is speaking in such a manner.
The court asked Revanth Reddy's lawyer that they read what he said this morning.
Revanth Reddy reportedly raised doubts over Kavitha getting bail in five months when Manish Sisodia got it after 15 months and Kejriwal is yet to get it.
The bench said that it is not bothered about someone criticizing but they will keep performing the duties as per the conscience. The top court also questioned whether it would pass the order in consultation with a political party. Warning the CM for his statement, the top court also commented that "the trial may take outside the state if Telangana Chief Minister does not have respect for the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country."
The advocate appearing for Reddy said that he would talk with him and amend it. He urged the top court to list on Monday. The top court said that "there should be mutual respect for institutions."
"We are not foreclosing the issue of transfer. We always say we are not interfering with the sphere of legislature. That is expected of them also," the top court said.
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to September 2 on the plea seeking a transfer for the 2015 cash-for-vote case outside Telangana.
The top court recalled that they had issued notice to a Maharashtra senior officer over his contemptuous remarks.
The top court expressed shock and said that somebody had the audacity to comment on an order of the Supreme Court.
The top court observation came when it was about to appoint a special public prosecutor in the matter but later decided to keep the option of the transfer open till the next day.
In the early morning, the top court indicated to appoint the Special Public Prosecutor in the 2015 cash-for-vote case after consulting colleagues from Telangana.
The top court expressed its complete faith in the judiciary and said that in order to have a sense of confidence in the minds of everyone, it will appoint a Special Public Prosecutor with no-objection of the concerned parties.
During the hearing, Justice Gavai questioned entertaining such petitions and said that if it keeps entertaining such petitions, it will be disbelieving our judicial officers. The top court also remarked that the matter has been pending for years but the petition was filed only after the elections were over.
Senior Advocate Aryama Sundaram appeared for the petitioner side, while Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sidharth Luthra appeared for the respondent sides.
The court also said that the independent public prosecutor will be given to inspire confidence.
The court was dealing with a plea filed by Guntakandla Reddy and others seeking a transfer of trial from Telangana to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
In the plea filed through advocate P Mohith Rao, Guntakandla Reddy said, "That most of the prosecution witnesses were examined in Chief and the Accused No.1 (Revanth Reddy) being the Chief and Home Minister for the State of Telangana, can directly influence the de facto Complainant and officers pressurizing them to defer/resile from their earlier statements and further to depose false and there is every possibility that the officers/ de facto Complainant will resile/defer from their earlier statements or will depose false under the threat."
According to the petition, Revanth was former Member of Telugu Desam Party and won the Legislative assembly election for the term 2009-14 and 2014-18 from Kodangal Assembly Constituency, having been elected as Member of Legislative Assembly from Telugu Desam Party the Accused No.1 offered bribe of Rs. 50 Lakhs as advance as directed by his former boss Chandra Babu Naidu (former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) to Elvis Stephenson (Complainant) to abstain from casting his vote for the biennial election to be held on June 2015 or to vote in favour of TDP party.
It was alleged Revanth, along with other accused, have committed a cognizable offence to lure away the vote bank of Bharat Rashtra Samithi Party (formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi party) and to see that the representative of Telugu Desam Party wins in the biennial election to be held on June 2015, according to the petition.
—ANI