Telangana HC hears CM Revanth Reddy’s quash petition

The court also questioned why the exemption from personal appearance, granted to Revanth Reddy five years ago, was now being challenged.

Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday heard a quash petition filed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, seeking dismissal of a 2016 case registered under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with a land dispute. Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya, hearing the case, directed the complainant to conclude arguments promptly.

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The court also questioned why the exemption from personal appearance, granted to Revanth Reddy five years ago, was now being challenged. The case stems from a complaint lodged by N. Peddiraju, president of the SC Mutually Aided Cooperative Housing Society, who alleged that society land in Gopanpally village (Survey No. 127) was illegally encroached upon and structures were demolished using a JCB. The complaint, filed at the Gachibowli Police Station, named Kondal Reddy (A1), E. Lakshmaiah (A2), and Revanth Reddy (A3) as accused.

Senior Advocate C. Raghu, representing Revanth Reddy, argued that Reddy was not present at the scene of the incident and that even the complainant had confirmed this in his statement. Raghu maintained that invoking Section 3 of the SC/ST Atrocities Act against someone not physically present was legally invalid. He emphasized the issue as a civil land dispute between the society and the accused, questioning how a cooperative society could file an atrocity case under the Act.

Public Prosecutor P. Palle Nageshwar Rao, representing the police, noted that eight witnesses were examined during the investigation, and none confirmed Revanth Reddy’s presence. He also pointed out that a similar complaint by the same complainant regarding the land had previously been dismissed. Countering the defense, the complainant’s counsel Nimma Narayana alleged that the accused had stalled the trial in the lower court for five years.

He urged the court to revoke the exemption from personal appearance granted to Revanth Reddy. Observing that the case has been heard repeatedly, the bench allotted ten minutes for further arguments and postponed the next hearing to June 20.