HC grants interim bailto Pinnelli till June 6

In a temporary relief to YSRCP MLA from Macherla, Ramakrishna Reddy, the AP High Court granted him interim bail. The court stipulated conditions for the bail, ensuring that no legal action could be taken against Pinnelli until June 6, 10 am.
On Thursday, Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy approached the AP High Court seeking anticipatory bail. A motion petition was swiftly filed by the MLA, leading to the court’s decision to grant bail.
The hearing on the anticipatory bail petition of Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy was conducted by the AP High Court. Advocate Niranjan Reddy, representing MLA Pinnelli, argued that if the alleged incident indeed occurred on May 13, an FIR would have been lodged by May 15.
Reddy contested the Election Commission’s actions triggered by a video released by opposition leader Nara Lokesh on Twitter, pointing out that the FIR mentioned unidentified individuals.
Questioning the authenticity of the Twitter video, Reddy suggested it might have been doctored. Emphasizing the severity of the charges, Reddy cited guidelines from the Supreme Court’s Arnesh Kumar case, noting that in cases carrying sentences of up to seven years, 41A notices should be served.
The Election Commission’s counsel requested time to prepare a counter. Justice Jyotirmayi, presiding over the single bench, temporarily postponed proceedings due to an ongoing inquiry in another court. Subsequently, arguments were presented on behalf of the police, leading to Justice Jyotirmayi granting conditional bail to MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy until June 5th.
The backdrop to this legal saga involves Macherla MLA’s involvement in a case related to the destruction of EVMs, prompting the Chief Election Officer’s condemnation of the violence and damage during polling. Multiple cases have been registered against the local MLA under various sections.
Police teams were mobilized to apprehend MLA Pinnelli, issuing lookout notices against him as the prime suspect in the EVM damage case. Despite the formation of eight special teams and an extensive search, Pinnelli’s whereabouts remained elusive.
A recent tip-off led the police to Hyderabad, where they attempted to arrest the MLA. However, Pinnelli managed to evade capture, with only his driver detained after the police seized his car. Pinnelli, who had been evading authorities, subsequently filed an anticipatory bail petition in the High Court, sparking anticipation within party circles and among YSRCP members regarding the court’s decision.