'Conspiracy to malign govt image': Andhra Pradesh HC puts interim stay on CID notices

VIJAYAWADA: The high court on Friday stayed the notices issued by the crime investigation department (CID) to senior journalist D H V S Satyanarayana Murthy in the case registered for allegedly conspiring to malign the image of the state government.
Challenging the CID notices to appear before the investigation officer on October 10, Murthy moved the high court with an interim prayer to stay the same.
The CID had registered a case against Narasapuram MP K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, two news channels, Murthy (who works for one of the channels), and others under various sections of IPC including sedition charges. The chairman of one of the channels, B R Naidu, challenged the sedition charges in the Supreme Court, and the apex court took cognizance of the issue and issued a general order directing the police to not pursue cases under the sedition law.
As the high court had earlier said that the CID can continue investigation under other sections of the IPC after the apex court stayed the proceedings under sedition law, the CID issued notices under CrPC section 160 to Murthy to attend before the investigation officer on October 10.
Arguing on behalf of Murthy, P V G Umesh Chandra said issuing notices under 160 CrPC to Murthy, who is a resident of Hyderabad, is beyond the jurisdiction of CID.
Pointing out that the notices were issued on the last working day of the high court before Dasara vacation, asking the petitioner to appear before the investigation officer on the first working day of the court, he said the timing of the notices clearly show the mala fide intention of the CID. He also raised apprehensions over the safety of Murthy as the main accused in the case, Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, was badly beaten while in CID custody.
Considering the arguments, Justice K Srinivas Reddy issued notices to the CID to file a counter affidavit and stayed the notices for three weeks.