Poll video violates MCC: HC orders Huzurabad BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy to face trial

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday ordered Padi Kaushik Reddy, the Huzurabad BRS MLA, to face trial in a criminal case registered against him at Kamalapur Police Station. However, the court quashed offences registered against him under Section 188 IPC.

The HC Single Bench, comprising Justice Kunuru Lakshman, was hearing the criminal petition filed by Padi Kaushik Reddy, seeking a stay on all further proceedings on the file of Special Judicial First Class magistrate for Excise Court at Nampally, Hyderabad, including his appearance before the court.

What is the case about?

The case was registered against Padi Kaushik Reddy during the 2023 Assembly Elections, where he was the contesting candidate on the BRS party ticket.

The petitioner released a video on November 28, 2023, in which the petitioner was seen delivering a short message to the voters of the Huzurabad Assembly Constituency, asking them to vote for him in the Assembly Elections so that he wins in the election. In the video, on the one hand, he was seen pleading with the voters to vote for him and on the other hand, he was seen threatening the voters to vote for him, failing which, he will die. He could be heard saying, “If you don’t vote for me, then you will have to attend my funeral procession.”

After the video of Padi Kaushik Reddy went viral on social media, Gunde Babu, MCC nodal officer, Kamalapur, Hanumakonda, gave a complaint in Kamalapur PS, upon which a case was registered against the petitioner, Padi Kaushik Reddy.

Justice Lakshman, though, quashed the offences U/s 188 IPC against the petitioner Kaushik Reddy, but directed the investigation officer to probe into the content of the video.