SC defers hearing on cash for votes case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing on petitions related to the 2015 cash-for-vote case on Thursday. 

A bench of Justices Sundaresh and SVN Bhatti heard the petition seeking inclusion of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu as an accused in the case. Another petition requested transferring the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

During the hearing, Naidu's counsel Siddharth Luthra sought more time citing the case was listed only last night. Subsequently, the bench adjourned the hearing on these petitions. 
 
YSRCP’s Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy  had moved the top court requesting it to include the name of Naidu as an accused in the cash-for-vote case. He had based his argument on the charge sheet filed by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which has several mentions of the TDP leader. Earlier, the Mangalagiri MLA had stated that the ACB had allegedly failed to take the case to a logical conclusion. 

The cash for vote case rocked Telangana when the then TDP MLA  Revanth Reddy and two others were arrested by by ACB for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to TRS (now BRS) nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to cross-vote and help a TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the Legislative Council elections. Later, the ACB shared details with the court about a purported telephonic conversation between Naidu and Stephenson over the offer. 

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