Satyam case: HC directs convicts' appeals to be remanded to sessions court

The court said that the trial and awarded conviction was in accordance with the provisions of CrPC as a magistrate

The Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed to remand back all the appeals filed by Satyam Computer Services Limited (SCSL) founder B Ramalinga Raju and nine others to a court of metropolitan sessions Judge (MSG) in the city.

Upholding the objections raised by the high court registry regarding the jurisdiction of the apex court in the state to deal with the appeals, justice Sunil Chaudhary found that the special court, which had dealt with the Satyam case, conducted the trial and awarded conviction in accordance with the provisions of CrPC as a magistrate. The judge also said that the designation of the special court to try the cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) shall not amount to upgradation of the court as sessions court.

Hence, the judge maintained that the local court delivered the verdict in the capacity of a magistrate, "The appellants have another remedy of appeal before a forum. If the high court hears these appeals as rejected by the metropolitan sessions judge, the appellants will lose an opportunity of another forum".

In view of this, the judge directed that all the appeals filed before the high court be remanded back to the court of a metropolitan sessions judge.

Ramalinga Raju and others filed their appeals in the high court after a metropolitan sessions court returned their appeal petitions as "non-maintainable". The MSJ court ruled it had no jurisdiction over the special court ( as it was also equivalent to a sessions court by virtue of it being designated to try PMLA cases).

Earlier this month, the special court had awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment to Ramalinga Raju, his brother and former managing director B Rama Raju, and eight others in the SCSL case, which had been touted as the biggest corporate fraud in the country. Apart from the jail term, the court had fined Raju and his brother Rs 5 crore each, and Rs 25 lakh each to eight others charged in the case.