NIA JUDGE BACK AT WORK AFTER HC REJECTS HIS RESIGNATION

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad high court on Thursday rejected the resignation of K Ravinder Reddy, the judge who had quit his duties after acquitting the five accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case on Monday.

Reddy, a senior judge handling National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases in Hyderabad, resumed work at the fourth metropolitan sessions court after the high court cancelled his leave as well. He had gone on leave for 15 days on Monday.

The high court’s reason for rejecting Reddy’s resignation is not immediately known. On Wednesday, Hindustan Times reported that people close to Reddy said he had cited “personal reasons” and “injustice to Telangana” as factors for his resignation.

The judge’s decision to step down gave rise to speculation that he had come under intense pressure to acquit all the accused in the sensational case.

Reddy faces charges of corruption in granting out-of-turn anticipatory bail to a Kadapa realtor in a forgery case last year. The allegations were made in an affidavit submitted by Hyderabad businessman M Krishna Reddy to the high court on December 11, 2017.

Reddy, who is also the president of Telangana Judicial Officers Association, retires in June.

There is also talk that he might have resigned, as he little chance being promoted as a high court judge due to delay in bifurcation of the common high court for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

THE JUDGE’S DECISION TO STEP DOWN GAVE RISE TO SPECULATION THAT HE HAD COME UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE TO ACQUIT ALL THE ACCUSED IN THE SENSATIONAL CASE