Hyderabad High Court directs Government to explain Revanth Reddy’s Arrest

Varun Chirumamilla

Working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, Revanth Reddy, was taken into custody in the wee hours of Tuesday.

His crime was that the State Election Commission (EC)  had “credible intelligence” that the Member of Legislative Assembly from Kodangal in Telangana had held a press conference urging constituents to oppose a rally by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which was to be addressed by caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) on Tuesday.

Revanth was whisked away by the police at about 3 am in the morning. When his supporters asked for a warrant of arrest to be produced, they were informed that this was a preventive arrest, meaning that such formalities had been dispensed with.

Advocate Rajnikanth Reddy made a mention of the matter pertaining to the MLA’S purported illegal detention before a Division Bench of the Hyderabad High Court comprising Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice M Satyanaryana Murty the same day.

The Bench agreed to hear the writ of Habeas Corpus as a lunch motion.

Senior counsel CV Mohan Reddy appeared for the working president at 2.15 pm, while special government pleader Sarath appeared for the State.

A colonial hangover was referred to by the Bench and intelligence reports that necessitated a preventive arrest were called for.

In the interim, the Bench rose to facilitate all parties to attend Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy’s send off.

The Bench reconvened at 4 pm and was informed that the legislator would be released at 5.30 pm by the government. This was taken on record. Accordingly, it has been reported that Reddy was released on Tuesday evening, after KCR’s rally, following around 12 hours of detention.

Meanwhile, the High Court Bench has also sought documentation from the government justifying Revanth Reddy’s arrest. The government has sworn to provide the same by Wednesday, 10.15 am.

Telangana is set to go for polls on December 7. Reddy is the Congress candidate from Kodangal.

Feature image taken from here.