Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday, September 21, issued notices to BRS MLCs Tata Madhu and N Naveen Kumar Reddy on a petition by the police seeking cancellation of bail granted to them in a case registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act over alleged abusive remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.
Justice BR Madhusudhan Rao directed the MLCs to file their responses and adjourned the case to Wednesday.
The two legislators belonging to the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were arrested on September 8 following an FIR registered against them for their alleged remarks against the Speaker.
Police had sought judicial remand, but the Nampally court rejected the plea, contending that mandatory notices under section 35 (2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were not issued to the accused.
The MLCs were granted bail on personal bonds of Rs 20,000 each with sureties.
A petition was filed in the High Court by Sultan Bazar Assistant Commissioner of Police M Mattaiah, challenging the local court’s order. The police argued that the failure to remand the accused, despite allegations of abusive and vulgar language against a constitutional authority, could send a wrong message and encourage similar conduct.
MLCs comments against Telangana Speaker
The MLCs had made the alleged remarks on September 7 when police had stopped BRS MLAs and MLCs at the Assembly entrance for wearing black T-shirts with objectionable slogans against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
While granting bail to the BRS MLCs, the Nampally court had directed the police not to arrest them again.
Saifabad police had moved the High Court seeking cancellation of bail and challenging the lower court’s order.
Public Prosecutor Nageswara Rao submitted to the court that the MLCs used abusive words against a person holding a Constitutional post. The court was also told that they attacked police personnel on duty.
The September 7 incident at the Assembly gate resulted in police registering multiple FIRs against BRS leaders and the suspension of BRS legislators from the Assembly for the entire monsoon session.
MLCs Madhu and Naveen Reddy were booked on a complaint filed by Pollepalli Venkatesham, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Assembly Speaker.
Saifabad police registered a case under Section 352 r/w 3(5) BNS and Sections 3(1)(r), 3(2)(va), 3(2)(vii) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Cases against BRS leaders
Two cases were registered against BRS Working President KT Rama Rao, BRS Deputy Leader in the Telangana Assembly T Harish Rao and several other party legislators for allegedly obstructing women police personnel from discharging their duties, using abusive language and threatening them.
On the other hand, the BRS alleged that its women MLAs were manhandled by police personnel, but no case was registered on their complaint.
The opposition party lodged complaints with the National Women Commission and the National Human Rights Commission. It also submitted a representation to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, seeking his intervention for a fair probe.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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