Cash-for-vote: SC to hear BRS leader’s implead petition on May 20

Hyderabad: Supreme court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in a petition by BRS MLA G Jagadish Reddy seeking to implead in a case filed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy, who sought quashing of the 2015 cash-for-vote case against him, terming ACB trap as "completely illegal" as it was done without registration of a first information report (FIR). Revanth Reddy also contended that his prosecution as an alleged bribe giver was "legally unsustainable". The case will be heard again on May 20During the hearing, senior counsels C Aryama Sundaram, Dama Seshadri Naidu and P Mohith Rao, appearing for Jagadish Reddy, contended that the petitioner, Revanth Reddy, being the chief minister and also the home minister, and the respondent state were hand-in-glove, and that he failed to make ACB, the de facto complainant, a party before Supreme court.In order to present the true facts of the case, and if not impleaded in the case, serious prejudice would be caused, making him suffer irreparable loss as "he is an aggrieved party in the case", the counsels contended. They further added that Revanth Reddy by giving a bribe tried to topple the BRS govt of which Jagadish Reddy was then a minister.They further contended that Revanth Reddy was being prosecuted as a bribe giver under the Prevention of Corruption Act and since this aspect of the Act was pending before another bench of Supreme Court for disposal, they urged the bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi to defer the hearing so that the orders, if any delivered, could be presented before the bench.Senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Revanth Reddy, opposed Jagadish Reddy's implead petition, stating that he did not have locus standi in the case.Taking note of the submissions, the bench posted the case to May 20 for further hearing. "If the other bench delivers verdict it is fine, else we will see what has to be done," the bench said.