The Supreme Court on Monday posted for January 2024, plea by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, President A. Revanth Reddy and that of the Sandra Venkata Veeraiah who have approached the top court challenging the State High Court orders relating to the trial court proceedings involving them in an alleged cash for vote case relating 2015 MLC election in the State.
A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti posted the matter for January on a request the petitioners – A. Revanth Reddy and that of the Sandra Venkata Veeraiah as senior advocate Sidharth Luthra said that the constitution bench judgment is awaited involving a similar question in respect of Rajya Sabha election Jharkhand.
In the Jharkhand case, the allegation in the awaited judgment against the petitioner Sita Soren is that she had allegedly accepted a bribe to vote in favour of a particular candidate in the Rajya Sabha election that was held in 2012 in Jharkhand.
The question that the judgment, which has been reserved sometime back, would be adjudicated is whether a member of parliament or the State legislature can claim immunity from prosecution for accepting money for making a speech or exercising vote in a particular manner in the House. It is revising 1998 constitution bench judgment in late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao case.
Sidharth Luthra pointed to the awaited judgment of the constitution bench, urging the bench to list the matter on a non-miscellaneous day as it would involve detailed arguments both on the question of law and on other aspects.
However, the bench said that it may not require a prolonged hearing.
Sandra Venkata Veeraiah has challenged the rejection of his plea seeking discharge in the case both by the special ACB court and the High Court. Telangana High Court on December 8, 2020, had declined Sandra Venkata Veeraiah’s plea seeking discharge in the case.
In the case of Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, the top court on August 25, 2021, had stayed the further proceedings before the trial court in CC No.5 of 2017 in Cr. No.11/ACB-CR1-HYD/2015 & CC No.15 of 2016 in Cr. No.11/ACB-CR1-HYD/2015 before Principal Special Judge for Trial of SPE & ACB cases, Hyderabad.
Revanth Reddy has challenged the invoking of the Prevention of Corruption Act against him. Revantha Reddy has challenged his trial by the Special ACB court as he has been accused, invoking the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.