Justice Shameem Akther of Telangana High Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah to get him discharged from the cash-for-vote case.
The legislator, who was made the fifth accused in the sensational cash-for-vote case, filed a criminal revision case before the HC challenging ACB Special Court’s order dismissing his discharge petition. In 2015, ACB officials arrested the then TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy (presently Malkajgiri MP from Congress party) and others on charge of offering ₹ 50 lakh to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to cast vote in favour of TDP nominee for Telangana Legislative Council.
Subsequently, the investigators made Mr. Veeraiah as the fifth accused in the case and filed a supplementary charge-sheet. Mr. Veeraiah’s petition requesting for his discharge from the case was dismissed by the ACB special court following which he moved the HC.
The ACB special court had already directed all the accused in the cash-for-vote case to appear before it on this December 15. The trial of the case is likely to begin. Dismissing his criminal revision case, the HC judge stated that the special court’s order was sustainable as it found that there was prima facie case against Mr. Veeraiah.
The MLA’s petition was devoid of merit and hence dismissed, the order said.
