Telangana HC stays trial court proceedings in criminal case against CM Revanth till June 23

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday stayed the trial proceedings in a criminal case against chief minister A Revanth Reddy till June 23. Further, the HC Single Bench, comprising Justice Kunuru Lakshman, directed the de facto complainant, Kasam Venkateshwarlu, the State BJP general secretary from Nalgonda, to file his counter-affidavit.

During the course of arguments, when senior counsel T Niranjan Reddy for the petitioner CM Revanth Reddy, sought a stay on the trial court proceedings till June 18, the counsel for Kasam opposed the request. The counsel said that the petitioner has taken frequent adjournments in the trial court with the reason that the ‘quash petition’ was pending in the High Court.

Furthermore, the counsel for the complainant contended that cross-examination of a witness (PW-2) is slated to be heard on June 18.

After hearing the contention of the counsel for the complainant, Justice Lakshman questioned the seriousness of the complainant in pursuing the complaint before a lower court because the complainant has failed to file his counter-affidavit in the High Court since the last date of hearing in the High Court, which was April 25.

Additionally, when the junior counsel contended that due to summer vacation, the counter affidavit could not be filed, the judge brushed aside her contention stating that the registry works during summer vacation too, and that the complainant could have filed the counter affidavit and stayed all further proceedings in the lower court till June 23.

What is the case about?

The complainant, who in his private complaint, before the Principal Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for Excise Cases at Hyderabad, alleged that CM Revanth Reddy, in a public meeting during the election campaign in 2024 at Prakasam Stadium in Kothagudem, said that if the BJP comes to power, it will remove the reservations to SCs, STs and BCs.

After filing the private complaint, CM Revanth Reddy filed a criminal petition in the High Court seeking quash of the proceedings under Section 499 IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, registered on the file of Principal Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for Excise Cases at Hyderabad. Prior to Thursday’s hearing in the High Court, Justice Lakshman dispensed with the appearance of the CM before the trial court.

Kasam, who in his private complaint before the lower court stated that the public meeting was attended by 50,000 people and was covered widely by print and electronic media.

Amit Shah’s morphed video

Moreover, the content of the speech of the chief minister was nothing but a conspiracy to cheat the innocent voters, particularly SCs, STs and BC voters, and such a speech is defamatory and creates enmity and hatred amongst the people.

The complainant also spoke about a morphed video which falsely showed Amit Shah, Union Home Minister saying that if BJP comes to power, reservations to SCs, STs and BCs will be removed to this effect, complaints have been made in various police stations including the Telangana Cyber Crime Police Station and other states also and investigation is going on.

The matter adjourned to June 23 for the filing of counter-affidavits. Till then, all proceedings before the trial court are stayed.