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The Supreme Court today deferred the hearing in a plea filed by Andhra Pradesh Government challenging the High Court order, which stayed probe into the case registered against former advocate general and others, in the alleged irregularities in Amravati land distribution during TDP regime of N Chandrababu Naidu, to July 22, 2021.

A Division Bench of Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, while hearing the matter today, said,

“To hear the application, we will have to hear the matter to some extent”

Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan appeared for the State of Andhra Pradesh.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve appeared for former Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas and 12 other leaders.

In the course of hearing, Senior Counsel Dhavan submitted,

“I have gone through the entire case law on this… Supreme Court has never stopped an investigation before. This petition is a vengeance petition of a lost election. 

What I was suggesting, I am not in a position to say a yes that it should be heard here. On instructions I am told that it should be heard in the HC, at length. If it is against an interim order, all i can press for is that no coercive action is taken”

Referring to the Impugned judgment, Senior Counsel added,“It is further stated that after filing of this WP, a learned judge of this Court refused hearing and directed the Registry to list the matter before another judge. FIR was then registered giving it a political colour.

He further submitted that, "After that it immediately projected on Social Media. I don't want to indicate who these judges are but I don't want to add another dimension to this case. Therefore, let the investigation proceed. We had asked the CBI to come in. I really don’t want to extend the process. All facts will come out.”

Senior Counsel Harish Salve submitted,

“If he is pressing the SLP, then let it be heard. Otherwise let the SLP be dismissed and the matter be heard by the HC. He can’t have it both ways.” 

In 2020, the Andhra Pradesh High Court issued interim orders on an application filed by Dammalapati Srinivas, hours after the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a case against him and 12 others for alleged insider trading in Amaravati under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the IPC.

The State Government had thereafter decided to move the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s interim orders, staying a further probe in a case registered against former advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas and 12 others in the Amaravati land scam and gagging the media from reporting on contents of the FIR against the accused.

The matter is now expected to be heard on July 22, 2021. 

Case Title: The State of Andhra Pradesh v. Dammalapati Srinivas And Ors.