Telangana: Former Maoist held for Magunta Subbirami Reddy murder gets interim bail after 27 years

Ganesh was convicted for murdering former Ongole MP Magunta Subbirami Reddy and his gunman Ch Venkataratnam in the year 1995 while he was working with the outlawed Maoist party

Hyderabad: PBV Ganesh, a life convict at the Cherlapally Jail got interim bail from the Telangana High Court after 27 years of imprisonment. Ganesh was convicted for murdering former Ongole MP Magunta Subbirami Reddy and his gunman Ch Venkataratnam in the year 1995 while he was working with the outlawed Maoist party.

The division bench comprising Justice K Lakshman and Justice P Sree Sudha on Tuesday granted bail for a month from July 5 to August 4 while reserving the case for orders. The bench was dealing with a writ appeal filed by Ganesh’s wife Joshi Madhavi. Assisted by the on record counsel T Rahul, senior counsel B Nalin Kumar made submissions on behalf of Madhavi.

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They said Ganesh was considered for remission on multiple occasions, however as the case was investigated by the CBI at the request of the State government, the earlier Governor of the State and the State government were of the opinion that the Centre’s concurrence was required for granting remission.

An earlier order of single judge Justice Kanneganti Lalitha directed the central government to take its decision of the remission. However, on Tuesday, senior counsel Nalin Kumar said that in the matters involving Section 302 of IPC (murder), the State government was the appropriate authority to grant remission. He pointed out to the judgment rendered in the Perarivalan case related to assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, wherein it was held in matters involving Section 302, the State was the appropriate authority.

The State government said Ganesh was a reformed man and had no links with the Maoist party now as against the Central Government apprehension that he would return to the banned outfit. The central government counsel also argued that central government concurrence was required. The bench enquired how the Perarivalan judgment could be overcome in this case. Hearing all the parties at length, the judge reserved the case for orders.

Magunta Subbirami Reddy, a Congress MP from Ongole in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was gunned down at Markapur town by the Maoists, who at that time were operating under the name of the People’s War Group. Ganesh’s accomplice was acquitted in the case.