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Andhra Pradesh wants probe to resume, says won’t take coercive action
The state government also agreed to have the investigations monitored by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the high court as it pressed for revival of the probe into the case that was stayed in September 2020 by the Andhra Pradesh high court.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday submitted in the Supreme Court that it will not take “any coercive action” in the Amaravati land scam case against a former advocate general and the daughters of a sitting Supreme Court judge if the investigations are allowed to resume.
The state government also agreed to have the investigations monitored by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the high court as it pressed for revival of the probe into the case that was stayed in September 2020 by the Andhra Pradesh high court. The state government challenged the order before the apex court.
“I am submitting on behalf of the state that no coercive action will be taken. We are also willing to have the investigation supervised by a retired judge,” senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, representing the YS Jaganmohan Reddy government, told the bench of justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari.
Dhavan urged the bench to release the matter and send it back to the high court where it could be heard fully. “Let the case go back to the high court and let the investigations continue...,” said Dhavan.
The senior lawyer called the petition by former advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas before the Andhra Pradesh high court “a vengeance petition for a lost election” by a political party (Telugu Desam Party).
Asked to respond, senior advocate Harish Salve, who was appearing for Srinivas, opposed the proposal by the state government, saying the Supreme Court should rather go into all the issues and decide finally. “My client has been a former advocate general of the state. There is a phrase called ‘regime revenge’. It is just that. Besides, the case has been pending before this court for almost a year. It can go up and down but I would prefer a decision on all issues by this court,” he said.
The bench fixed the matter on July 22 to decide if the state government’s prayer for revival of the investigation subject to certain conditions can be entertained. The FIR registered by state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau named 13 persons, including two daughters of a SC judge and Srinivas, on the ground that they purchased land in Amaravati area. In October 2020, Jagan had written to then CJI SA Bobde, complaining that justice NV Ramana (present CJI) was trying to influence cases in the high court to destabilise his government and stall investigations. In March this year, the inquiry exonerated justice Ramana and dismissed Jagan’s complaint, clearing the decks for his appointment as the CJI.
