Justice M. Laxman of Telangana High Court on Monday directed Raghavendra Raju, who filed an election petition seeking to declare election of Minister V. Srinivas Goud from Mahabubnagar Assembly constituency in 2018, to furnish the list of witnesses to be examined in the matter within a week.
The judge also directed the petitioner not to refer the court proceedings in the matter with print or electronic media without permission of the court. Mr. Raju filed the plea requesting the HC to pronounce Mr. Srinivas Goud’s election as invalid, stating that the latter had filed election affidavit concealing information and got it modified with the returning officer’s help.
The petitioner’s counsel told the court that the Minister filed three affidavits before the Returning Officer in 2018 elections. The advocate contended that Mr. Srinivas Goud got the affidavit filed on November 14, 2018, with another affidavit on November 19 with the collusion of the returning officer.
On hearing the advocate’s arguments, the judge noted that law permitted a contestant to improvise election affidavit. The judge said hence the Minister’s affidavit of November 19 was being taken on record. Mr. Srinivas Goud’s counsel told the court that the petitioner was spreading false information about his client in the media.
Stating such wrong propaganda was causing serious damage to the Minister’s reputation, counsel sought an order restraining the petitioner from disseminating false information against the Minister.
Meanwhile, a petition filed against the Minister came up for hearing in the Special Court for trial of MPs and MLAs at Nampally.
In another development, Justice Chillakur Sumalatha appointed retired district judge Shailaja to cross-examine Karimnagar MP and BJP national secretary Bandi Sanjay in an election petition he had filed against Minister Gangula Kamalakar. Mr. Sanjay wanted the HC to set aside Kamalakar’s election as MLA from Karimnagar Assembly constituency in 2018.
