The Supreme Court on Friday refused to transfer the trial in the 2015 cash-for-vote case against Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy outside the state and also accepted his (Chief Minister) apology on his remarks against the top court decision granting bail to BRS leader K. Kavitha.

While refusing to transfer the trial in the 2015 cash-for-vote case outside Telangana, a bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Viswanathan, directed the Chief Minister not to interfere with the trial and further directed that the Director General of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) not to report to Reddy about the prosecution of the case.

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Taking note of Revanth Reddy’s apology for his remarks on the release of BRS leader K. Kavitha and bringing curtains on the matter, the bench said that the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary must observe mutual respect for functioning to one another.

“Though we do not wish to proceed further in the matter, we may only put on caution all the constitutional functionaries — the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary — to discharge their constitutional duties in the spheres earmarked for them by the Constitution. It is expected that three wings of the Constitution show mutual respect for the functioning of each other,” the court said.

Stating that fair criticism is welcome but one should not transgress the limits, the court said that one should be careful enough while making comments about orders of the court.

Revanth Reddy has issued an apology over his statement against the top court order granting bail to BRSC leader Kavitha. He has also said that the petition seeking transfer of trial outside the state is politically motivated.

Revanth Reddy had reportedly raised doubts over Kavitha getting bail in five months when Manish Sisodia got it after 15 months and Kejriwal is yet to get it in the Delhi excise policy case.

The court had earlier said that it is not bothered about someone criticizing it but they will keep performing the duties as per the conscience.

Refusing to transfer the trial in a cash-for-vote case outside Telangana, the court disposed of the plea by one Guntakandla Reddy and others seeking transfer of trial from Telangana to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.