2015 cash-for-vote case: SC junks Telangana's plea against order trashing charges against accused

New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by the Telangana government against an order quashing charges against an accused in the 2015 cash-for-vote scam case.

A bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran upheld the order quashing the charges against Jerusalem Mathai, one of the accused in the scam.

The top court refused to set aside the order which, though lengthy, "cited justifiable reasons" to quash the proceedings.

The apex court said it was not convinced about the argument that there was a "mini trial" conducted or that there was no justifiable reason to quash the complaint.

"We cannot but notice that there is nothing to connect A4 (Mathai) to the crime, but for a casual allegation raised on a call having been received by the complainant without any indication even of the time when such call was received. We find absolutely no reason to interfere with the order of the high court and dismiss the special leave petitions," the bench held.

On May 31, 2015, Revanth Reddy, then with the Telugu Desam Party, was apprehended by the ACB while allegedly paying a Rs 50 lakh bribe to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, for supporting TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the legislative council elections.

Aside from Reddy, there were others arrested by the ACB.

All of them were later granted bail.

Reddy and others were chargesheeted in July 2015 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The ACB claimed to have collected "clinching evidence" against the accused in the form of audio/video recordings besides recovering an advance of Rs 50 lakh. PTI PKS AMK AMK