TDP MLA's bail hearing adjourned to Friday

The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned to Friday the hearing on bail petition of TDP legislator A. Revanth Reddy in a cash-for-vote case.

The court adjourned the hearing after Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana sought more time to file additional counter to the bail plea along with reports from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

The bail petitions of two other accused Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha will also be taken up for hearing on Friday.

One of the lawyers of Revanth Reddy said the ACB sought time till Monday but the judge directed it to file the additional counter by Friday.

The ACB, in its counter, opposed the bail petitions on the ground that bail at this stage could hamper the investigations into the case as the accused might try to influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence.

The anti-graft agency also informed the court that the fourth accused Jerusalem Mathaiah is still absconding and hiding in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The court was told that arrest and questioning of Mathaiah could help the ACB unravel the case.

Meanwhile, Mathaiah's petition to delete his name from First Information Report (FIR) will also come up for hearing later in the day.

Revanth Reddy, deputy leader of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Telangana state legislative assembly, was arrested by the ACB on May 31 when he was trying to give Rs.50 lakh as bribe to nominated legislator Elvis Stephenson to induce him to vote for TDP-BJP candidate in Telangana state legislative council elections.

Revanth Reddy's two aides were also arrested in the trap laid by the ACB on a complaint by Stephenson. The entire episode was also recorded on a camera. The FSL is examining the video and audio tapes and the mobile phones of the accused.