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YSRCP MLA barred from entering counting centre: SC
On May 13, MLA Ramakrishna Reddy had entered the polling station at Palwaigate village in Macherla and destroyed EVMs
The Supreme Court on Monday barred YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA from Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu, Ramakrishna Reddy, from entering the vote counting centre in Macherla town on Tuesday in view of the pending criminal case against him for smashing an electronic voting machine (EVM) on May 13, people familiar with the matter said.
A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta, which heard arguments on a petition filed by Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) polling agent Namburi Seshagiri Rao seeking Ramakrishna Reddy’s arrest, ruled that Macherla MLA should not enter the counting station or be seen anywhere in the vicinity of the same on Tuesday.
The TDP agent expressed apprehension that Ramakrishna Reddy, who entered the polling station at Palwaigate village in Macherla and destroyed EVMs on the polling day on May 13, might indulge in similar violence on the day of counting, as well.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel drew the court’s attention to certain photographs, stated to have been obtained from ECI’s web-telecast. He also produced a video for the court’s perusal.
On May 23, a vacation bench of the state high court led by justice Venkata Jyothirmai passed an interim order granting anticipatory bail to the YSRCP MLA in the EVM smashing case and directed that he should not be arrested till June 6.
The judge also asked Ramakrishna Reddy to stay put in the district headquarters of Narsaraopet but said he could go to the counting centre on June 4 on the day of counting of votes.
On May 28, the same bench of the high court granted anticipatory bail to Ramakrishna Reddy in three more cases filed against him by the police.
The SC bench found fault with the orders of the state high court giving relief to the MLA, directing the police not to arrest him till June 6.
The bench also said it was not proper to give permission to the MLA to go to Macherla on the day of counting to oversee the counting process.
