ACB: Not sought cash-for-vote order

The TS ACB on Wednesday informed the High Court that it had not sought any order from the ACB court for a fresh investigation in the cash-for-vote scam.

YSRC legislator Alla Ramakrishna Reddy had successfully moved a complaint before the ACB court seeking a probe into the role of the other accused in the case.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had moved the High Court challenging the ACB court order. The ACB filed a counter affidavit stating that while staying the ACB court’s order, the High Court had raised several issues including maintainability of the application of the YSRC MLA and his locus standi.

The ACB stated that it had filed a memo before the ACB court with regard to the complaint of the MLA, informing it that no fresh probe was required in view of pending investigation with regard to the role of MLA S.V. Veeraiah.

The ACB told the High Court that the locus standi in a cognisable offence was alien under criminal jurisprudence.

When Mr Naidu’s petition came up for hearing, Justice T. Sunil Chowdary asked Mr Ravikiran Rao to explain the questions raised by the High Court while granting the stay and sought brief facts of the case.

Explaining the details, he said the ACB had arrested five accused and the High Court had quashed the case against Mr Jerusalem Mathaiah. The ACB had moved the apex court against this; investigation was still pending against Mr Veeraiah.

Counsel for Mr Naidu urged the judge to adjourn the case to Thursday to enable a senior counsel from the Supreme Court to appear in the case. The judge said that he would hear the case on October 27.