MLA Poaching case: Telangana HC asks city advocate to cooperate with SIT

Judge B Vijaysen Reddy directed while directing the SIT not to arrest him in the wake of the Section 41-A notice already issued by the SIT to Pratap.

Hyderabad: Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Thursday directed Pratap Pogulakonda, a city-based advocate, to cooperate with the Special Investigation Team probing the MLA poaching case by appearing on November 25. The Judge also directed while directing the SIT not to arrest him in the wake of the Section 41-A notice already issued by the SIT to Pratap.

Pratap had approached the court challenging the notice. Vinod Deshpande, representing Pratap, argued that the notice was illegal. The notice did not disclose if the receiver of the notice was a suspect or if any complaint was made against him or if there was any credible information against him, he said, arguing that the notice was in violation of the Supreme Court judgment in the Arnesh Kumar case.

---

Responding to this, Advocate General BS Prasad argued that there was material evidence against Pratap. The SIT has some evidence retrieved from electronic gadgets. If the investigation was delayed, there was every possibility that the petitioner would erase crucial data from his cell phone, the AG said.

Hearing both sides, the judge passed orders asking Pratap to cooperate with the SIT. The judge also made it clear that the SIT could approach the High Court if Pratap did not cooperate with the investigation.