AP tells court it will not withdraw criminal cases

The AP government on Tuesday assured the High Court that the process of withdrawing criminal cases against TD leaders would not be taken forward in the lower courts.

AP Advocate-General Dammalapati Srinivas gave this assurance to a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi which was hearing a public interest petition filed by Mangalagiri YSRC legislator A. Ramakrishna Reddy challenging the orders issued to withdraw the cases.

The petitioner told the court that GOs had been issued to withdraw cases against 273 persons including Deputy Chief Ministers K.E. Krishnamurthy and N Chinarajappa, Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, ministers Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, K. Ravindra, N. Anand Babu, K. Atchennaidu and Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

During the last hearing, the bench had sought details of the cases in tabular form segregating murder, rape and arson cases.

While submitting the details, counsel said that the government did not have the power to order the public prosecutors to seek closure of criminal cases.

Mr Srinivas submitted that the GOs were issued over the past three years and the petitioner, due to political rivalry, had clubbed them and moved the court which was not permissible in law.

He said that the Supreme Court had ruled that the state government had the power to withdraw the cases.

The bench said, “Leave political rivalry of the petitioner. We can also take this matter suo motu in view of the seriousness of the matter.”

On the AG’s request, the court gave time to file a counter affidavit and recorded his assurance that there would be no movement in the cases in the lower courts.