HC transfers case to CBI, quashes SIT

K Venkateshwarlu
Hyderabad

BRS president Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao got a severe shocker in the Moinabad Farmhouse BRS MLAs’ poaching case.The Telangana High Court has issued orders transferring the MLAs’ poaching case to the CBI from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had been set up by the Telangana Government.

The High Court issued the order after considering petitions filed by the BJP. The accused urged the High Court to transfer the case to the CBI as they have no confidence in the Telangana government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The HC also quashed the SIT by cancelling the order issued by the Telangana government setting up the SIT. The HC ordered the SIT to hand over details it had collected.Earlier, the Telangana Advocate General (AG) argued on behalf of the SIT that there is no use handing over the case to the CBI. The AG appealed to the court to continue the SIT’s probe as the probe is progressing. However, the court did not accept the arguments of the AG and directed the SIT to hand over details of its probe to the CBI.

Supreme Court advocate Mahesh Jethmalani argued on behalf of the petitioners and another Supreme Court advocate Dushyanth Dave and the Telangana AG argued for the SIT.

The accused individual urged the High Court to order a CBI investigation or any probe by any independent investigation agency. The petitioners’ advocate Mahesh Jethmalani objected to the leaking of information regarding the SIT’s investigation.

The petitioners’ advocate brought to the notice of the High Court that even Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had leaked evidence to the media.After listening to the arguments of both sides, the High Court agreed with the arguments of the petitioners and delivered its verdict cancelling the SIT and handed over the case to the CBI.

In fact, the High Court dismissed the BJP’s petition. Speaking to the media after the HC verdict, High Court advocate Ramchandar Rao said that the SIT is not conducting the investigation in a proper manner.

He said the SIT did not consider technical issues and that they brought to its notice that the state government had been harassing them politically.The SIT mentioned the BJP’s name in the case although it has no links with it.

Ramchandar Rao said the state government filed cases with political motives. The Chief Minister criticised the BJP by conducting press meets. Ramchandar Rao made it clear that the SIT has no authority to probe the case except the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

It may be recalled that the TRS MLAs’ poaching case created a sensation in the state during the Munugode by-poll. The police filed cases against Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji as per the complaint of BRS MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy.