Don’t start probe into MLA poaching charge: SC to CBI

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who appeared for the state, said he had instructions that the files were yet to be handed over to the central agency. The court said listed the matter for hearing in the week starting July 31. The bench also recorded in its order the petitioner’s statement that the state was yet to hand over papers pertaining to the probe to CBI.

In November last year, the Telangana High Court had allowed a special investigation team (SIT) set up by the state to probe the charges, but this was quashed by the SC, which asked HC to consider the plea for a CBI probe afresh.

In December 2022, a single judge of HC transferred the probe to CBI. The court took a grim view of how the events unfolded.

It said “the controversy regarding poaching of MLAs is…a serious one” and “the official press conference by the Chief Minister and speaking about the sequence of events and the attempt made to poach ruling party MLAs is understandable”.

The HC, however, said the “manner in which the video recordings through electronic spy gadgets and documents have been uploaded in the public domain tested on the viewpoint of the accused would certainly cause prejudice to them. Though the investigation is at the preliminary stage, crucial documents, which were in the nature of pre-trap proceedings, have come out in public”.

It said the “rights of the accused to have fair and unbiased investigation are defeated in this case…” The state appealed against this but it was dismissed in February this year by a division bench of HC, after which the state moved the SC.