Supreme Court refuses pleas to investigate Chandrababu Naidu in cash-for-vote case

Supreme Court rejects plea to investigate Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2015 cash-for-vote case.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) refused to entertain petitions challenging a High Court decision to quash a plea to investigate Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the 2015 cash-for-vote case.

The State High Court gave Mr. Naidu relief in a December 2016 order by dismissing the plea filed by YSR Congress Party leader Alla Ramakrishna Reddy on the ground that the latter had no locus standi to move the court in the case.

On Wednesday, a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar confirmed the High Court’s reasoning and also refused Mr. Reddy’s request to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The petitions were dismissed as withdrawn. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra and advocate Guntur Prabhakar appeared for Mr. Naidu.

The cash-for-vote case involves an alleged attempt by Telegu Desam Party (TDP) leaders to bribe nominated lawmaker, Elvis Stephenson, ahead of MLC elections.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who was at the time a TDP MLA, was alleged to be involved in the case.

In May 2015, Mr. Stephenson lodged a complaint alleging that he was offered ₹5 crore by Mr. Revanth Reddy to vote for the TDP nominee in the election to the Telangana Legislative Council on June 1.