House attachment: HC directs CID to file counter on petition for audience

Vijayawada: The high court on Tuesday directed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to file counter in the petition filed by Lingamaneni Ramesh challenging the ACB court decision of not giving him audience in application filed by the CID for the attachment of his house in which former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is residing.
The CID had registered a case over alleged irregularities and quid pro quo transactions in preparation of capital city master plan and Inner Ring Road (IRR).The CID had alleged that the house belonging to Lingamaneni Ramesh was given to the then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu as part of quid pro quo transaction. The state government issued a GO following a request from the CID to attach the house. Subsequently, CID filed an application before the ACB court, Vijayawada for confirming the attachment.
Lingamaneni filed a petition before the ACB court for submitting his arguments but the same was dismissed. Challenging the ACB court decision to dismiss his petition, the high court was moved seeking directions to give him opportunity to submit his arguments before the ACB court before taking a decision on CID’s application.
Arguing on behalf of Ramesh, advocate N Ashwani Kumar said that the ACB court had issued notices on May 18 in the application filed by the CID. However, they were not given an opportunity to submit arguments. The petition filed requesting audience was also dismissed. Ashwani Kumar said that once the court issued notices, opportunity should be given to the affected party. He sought directions to set aside the orders of the ACB court and to grant them opportunity to advance arguments.
Arguing on behalf of the CID, special government pleader Y N Vivekananda said that the ACB court had already concluded the proceedings in the CID’s application and reserved its judgment. Vivekananda contended that an advocate had filed a petition before the ACB court for submitting arguments in the matter. The ACB court has rightly dismissed the petition filed by the advocate, who is a third party to the matter.
Considering the arguments on both sides, Justice K Srinivas Reddy directed the CID to file counter affidavit with all details and posted the matter for further hearing on June 28.