SC lifts AP HC’s media gag order

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court vacated the media gag order passed by the Andhra Pradesh high court in the Amaravati land scam case involving relatives of a senior SC judge and the former advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas.

A three-judge bench headed by justice Ashok Bhushan issued a notice on the state’s plea against the stay on the investigation, media gag and coercive action against Srinivas passed by the Andhra Pradesh HC on September 15. The HC had stayed further investigation in the matter and ordered a media gag on reporting the contents of the FIR registered against Srinivas and 12 others allegedly involved in the scam. The SC bench did not disturb the stay on the investigation or coercive action, but vacated the media gag by saying, “Meanwhile following direction shall remain stayed—news with regard to contents of FIR to be not made public in electronic or print media as regards petitioner and other accused.”

The apex court directed Srinivas to file a response and posted the matter for a hearing in the last week of January 2021.

Although Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was also arrayed as a respondent in the special leave petition (as he was arrayed a party by Srinivas in the HC) the SC bench did not issue a notice to him. The allegations pertained to purchase of lands by Srinivas and others at Amaravati after the state announced its plans to form the new capital there. Soon after coming to power, Reddy formed a cabinet committee to probe irregularities in the allotment of land in Amaravati and recommended a CBI probe on March 23 this year. In September, the state received a complaint on irregularities in land deals, following which the AP Police held an enquiry and registered an FIR on September 15.

The same day, the high court passed a stay order at Srinivas’ behest, which tied the state’s hands from proceeding further in this case. Srinivas alleged that the investigation against him was borne out of revenge as he had appeared as advocate general in several criminal cases pending against the current CM.