Supreme Court to Conduct Fresh Hearings in Revanth Reddy 2015 Cash-for-Vote Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday announced that it will hold fresh hearings on petitions concerning the 2015 cash-for-vote case involving Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, after the judges who had previously heard the proceedings retired.

The petitions seeking the quashing of First Information Reports (FIRs) and related matters came up for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The case had previously been listed as a part-heard matter, but the court clarified that it cannot resume from where earlier proceedings concluded.

Chief Justice Surya Kant stated that because the previous judges on the bench have retired, the matter cannot continue from where it was left and must be heard afresh. The court indicated that a formal schedule for the new hearings will be fixed.

The case stems from an investigation initiated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) into the alleged cash-for-vote episode dating back to 2015, when Revanth Reddy was a legislator with the Telugu Desam Party. Revanth Reddy and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, who are named as accused in the case, had approached the apex court challenging the ACB's investigation.

Leaders from the BRS subsequently impleaded themselves in the proceedings before the Supreme Court. During Thursday’s hearing, counsel representing the BRS leaders pointed out to the bench that the matter had previously been treated as part-heard.

In response, the Chief Justice of India reiterated that the matter will now be taken up entirely as a fresh case before the bench.