Supreme Court Stays AP HC Gag Order On Amaravati Land Scam Case

NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Andhra Pradesh High Court's direction restraining the media from publishing news regarding an FIR lodged on alleged irregularities in land transactions at Amaravati. The Court also issued notices in the plea filed by the State Government challenging the High Court direction to bar investigation into the FIR filed in relation to the case.

 A Division Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said that the AP High Court shall not decide till the last week of January the  pending matter which relates to the alleged illegal land transactions in shifting of the state capital to Amaravati. Senior Advocate Rajiv Dhawan appeared on behalf of the AP government.

The Divison bench, comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah, refused to stay at this stage the other directions of the high court including the stay on probe into the FIR in the matter.

The apex court passed the order while hearing an appeal filed by Andhra Pradesh Government against the September 15 order of high court.

The top court on the appeal, sought responses from others including the Director General of Police of Andhra Pradesh and the state's former advocate general on whose plea the high court had passed the order.

Dhavan asked the Bench whether such complaint be investigated or not. He asked whether there was any racketeering taking place based on the series of transactions that might need investigation.

The Division bench has posted the matter for hearing in January 2021.