Cherukuri Sailaja, managing director of Margadarsi Chit Fund Limited, moved the Telangana High Court seeking a direction to suspend the Look-Out-Circular (LOC) issued against her in crimes registered by Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department.
The writ petition filed by Ms. Sailaja, daughter-in-law of media baron and Ramoji Group of Companies chairman Ch. Ramoji Rao, is likely to be heard by the vacation bench of the HC on Thursday. The petitioner made Bureau of Immigration of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, AP Home Secretary, AP CID and AP CID Deputy Superintendent of Police of Mangalagiri respondents in the petition.
Ms. Sailaja flew off to United States of America on April 28 to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter to be held in second week of May. She stated in the petition that she was also to attend her son-in-law’s graduation ceremony in the last week of May. Vellanki Ratna Kumar, the authorised signatory of the petitioner, mentioned in the plea that Ms. Sailaja “has reliably learnt that a Look Out Circular (LOC) appears to have been issued against her in the month of May”.
However, the copy of the LOC was not shared with the petitioner. Ms. Sailaja claimed that she had sent an email to the respondents on May 27 requesting for the withdrawal of the LOC if it had been issued to her. The petitioner maintained that she had been cooperating with the investigators all the while. Hence, the sine qua non for issuing the LOC does not exist, the petitioner stated.
Ms. Sailaja said the Telangana HC had already issued a direction on March 21 instructing the respondents not to take any coercive measures against her after she filed a writ petition with regard to the cases registered against her by AP CID. Issuing the LOC, despite the HC direction, amounted to disregarding and derogation of the HC order, the petitioner said.
The issuing of LOC was blatant violation of the Office Memorandum issued by the MHA issued in 2021. The prerequisite for issuing an LOC was if that individual evaded arrest or not appeared before the authorities, trial court despite issuance of non-bailable warrant or other coercive measures initiated.
The petitioner claimed that she had cooperated with the investigators and submitted herself to the jurisdiction of the HC by filing petitions and secured favorable interim directions. Ms. Sailaja requested the HC to hear her plea before Saturday as she was returning to Hyderabad that day.
