SC orders fresh hearing in Revanth Reddy cash-for-vote case

The case relates to a 2015 ACB trap in which Revanth Reddy, then a TDP MLA, was accused of offering a bribe to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to secure his vote for council elections.

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Thursday, August 13, said proceedings in the 2015 cash-for-vote case involving Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy, then a TDP MLA, would have to begin afresh, as the judges who had earlier heard the matter have since retired.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant observed while taking up petitions in the case, which had earlier been treated as part-heard and had reportedly reached the stage of final hearing before the previous bench. The CJI clarified that the matter could not continue from the stage at which it had been left and would instead require a fresh hearing before the present bench.

The petitions were filed by Revanth Reddy and Sandra Venkata Veeraiah challenging the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s investigation into the case. BRS leaders later became parties to the proceedings.

During the hearing, counsel for the BRS leaders pointed out that the matter had already been heard in part. The CJI, however, said a fresh date would be fixed for a re-hearing and adjourned the case.

The case relates to a 2015 ACB trap in which Revanth Reddy, then a TDP MLA, was accused of offering a bribe to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to secure his vote for a TDP candidate in the Telangana Legislative Council elections. Revanth Reddy was arrested by the ACB on May 31, 2015, and later granted conditional bail by the Hyderabad High Court.