Telangana High Court directs government to file written submissions opposing bail for two BRS MLCs

State government was directed by Justice B.R. Madhusudan Rao of the Telangana High Court on Monday to file written submissions in the criminal petition filed by the police department seeking cancellation of the bail granted to two BRS MLCs Tata Madhusudan and N. Naveen Kumar in a criminal case registered against them on charges of abusing the Assembly Speaker.

The plea was filed by Sultan Bazar Assistant Commissioner of Police, investigating officer of the criminal case, seeking cancellation of the bail granted to the two MLCs by the First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Hyderabad on September 8. The Public Prosecutor for Home, appearing for the police department, sought cancellation of the bail contending that the two legislators intentionally abused the Speaker, a constitutional authority, in the name of his caste. 

It was a deep-rooted conspiracy by the two MLCs to humiliate the image of the Speaker, the PP said. The legislators’ counsel T.V. Ramana Rao, however, refuted the charges. He argued that the two MLCs did not indulge in use of abusive language. Actually, it was the Assembly Marshalls and the police personnel deployed at the main entrance of the Assembly who misbehaved with the legislators. Since the lower court rejected the remand of the two MLCs after being presented in the court, the question of bail cancellation would not arise, he contended. 

The judge sought to know from Nageshwar Rao if the mandatory notice under section 35 (3) of the BNS was issued to the two MLCs as the punishment for the said crime was less than five years. The PP said there was no need to issue the said notice as the crime attracted provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. The judge adjourned the matter to November 2, instructing the PP to file written submissions in support of cancellation of the bail. 

Referring to another criminal petition filed by the two MLCs seeking a direction to quash the First Information Report (FIR) issued against them, the judge issued notices to the police department to file response in the matter. The hearing of this plea was posted to November 16.